"Mizuiro!" Keigo hissed. "What are you doing?! Don't touch that!"
Crouching by the liquid red pipe that stretched before them, his fearless friend spared the panicky teen a disapproving glance. "Yes, thank you, Asano-san. I'm not stupid." Afterwards he returned to inspecting this occult specimen. "Weird. It seems, for all intents and purposes, to be living blood." Mizuiro gave an experimental sniff before drawing back and crossing his arms thoughtfully. "Yup, even smells like it. I wonder if this is the result of the main body bleeding, or if it's a Hollow that's completely composed of blood? Reminds me of some old myths my grandfather used to tell me."
"Supposedly the first god, Izanagi, slew his youngest son after his mother Izanami died in childbirth," Kunieda Ryō offered from her place leaning against the wall. "His blood then formed numerous other gods or dragons, depending on the translation. Maybe this is something similar; divine blood that produces deities."
"Well, they were all worshipping it," the charming lothario mused.
Keigo Asano looked between the two of them in disbelief. "Why are you guys so relaxed? How do you even know this thing…" he pointed wildly at the scarlet ribbon, "…can't hear us talking right now?"
"Because we'd be dead if that were true." Mizuiro bent down even closer and squinted one eye shut to follow along the bloodline's course back into the darkened chamber behind them. "Whatever the case, I think it's safe to assume this is some kind of artery keeping the creature we saw earlier alive." He rose up, dusting off his knees in the process. "Or undead, as it were."
"They did say a guard was necessary." The willowy female slowly turned her head to gaze introspectively at the half-open portal. "That means whatever is in there right now requires protection. It's vulnerable."
Keigo stared in dismay at his schoolmates as they casually discussed this situation with as much dispassion as though their lives weren't on the line. Was he the only one who appreciated how dangerous it really was? He had never really liked all this spirit business to begin with. Fiends lurking around every corner, alongside threatening men with shaved heads who barged into your home and got your already nightmarish sister even more worked up than usual. When would it all end?
Probably when I least suspect it.
Things had actually gotten steadily worse since he first came to this dimension. For starters, Keigo had arrived out of whatever magic portal brought them here head first. This left him buried up to his armpits in sand. Had Mizuiro Owajima not been there to haul him out, he might have suffocated. Which was only mildly more preferable to finding himself in the middle of nowhere. Even now, it felt like he still had twenty pounds of sand in each shoe.
No explanation was forthcoming as to where they were, much less how they got there. Their cell phones didn't work, which hadn't been the case when they were trapped in Soul Society. He had previously postulated that this might have been because some cell towers existed in Karakura when the city got relocated to the afterlife, which allowed local transmissions to still take place even without any satellites. But that wasn't the case here. Instead, it hadn't taken them long to come to the conclusion that they were currently in Hueco Mundo.
"We should wait here," Keigo had first insisted. Mizuiro agreed, and so the two of them shared one another's company squatted on a dune. Everything looked the same in whatever direction you might choose.
After three minutes, Owajima stood up with a declaration of, "Well, that's that," and started walking.
"Hold on, wait, Mizuiro! Someone will come along and get us, I'm sure of it!"
"That's what I'm afraid of," Mizuiro replied. Then, with an easy acceptance that always left the other teen both agitated and envious, he proceeded across the desert. After shouting at his departing back for a while, Asano determined that the only thing worse than being lost in Sandy Hell was being alone in it. For this reason he quickly followed the shorter boy, and they continued slogging through the dry landscape in search of a gas station or a payphone.
About five minutes in, while Keigo was unsuccessfully attempting to knock sand out of his ears, he took one step forward and realized that his foot was sinking in a lot more than he had grown accustomed to. While this fact was still registering, he was already falling forward, sliding into the dry sea with as little resistance as slipping into a public pool. Too shocked to even flail and scream as was his regular wont, it was perhaps owing to this that he did not wind up swallowing another sand-wich of sorts. Instead his speed increased, and the next thing he knew, the perplexed teenager landed hard on what felt like a mound of more sand.
A river of the stuff was still pouring down on him, so that at first he tried to struggle out from under it. Light came from overhead in sufficient quantity to allow him to determine that he had fallen into a pit. Of course, it was strange to think that he hadn't noticed any indication of this sand trap while walking towards it. One would think there might have been some warning that the ground disappeared up ahead. Which could indicate that the pit hadn't existed until he stepped over it.
While coming to this conclusion, a clawed hand grabbed Keigo by the shirt and yanked him back to tuck under one brawny arm.
"All right. Get the other one," a low voice hissed.
"MIZU-!"
Before he could scream a warning to his friend, something smooth and wiggly thrust into his mouth, silencing him. By then the bunch that grabbed him had moved away from the hole in the ceiling, plunging everything into darkness. Keigo didn't bother struggling. He wasn't sure what was going on, but clearly it didn't bode well for them.
This was borne out when a few seconds later there was another rush of noise, and in the moonlight shaft that followed he could see a pair of familiar legs kicking ineffectively to extricate themselves from the small hill. A few moments later Mizuiro had also been apprehended.
"Hurry up and plug the ceiling, Damcyan," something rasped in an ugly voice.
"Should we take them back now?" one of their captors asked. "Who's going to clean this mess up? Lagrima will be furious if we leave it."
"Somebody else. The last one's close. We might lose it if we stay to sweep. Let's just get all three now and not bother with return trips."
They moved into the light, continuing down what turned out to be a tunnel. And in that brief moment before everything went dark again, Keigo saw that they were being held by Hollows.
He didn't bother resisting much after that. The helpless teen didn't know what was going on, and he didn't want to. This was just something out of the ordinary. If he survived it, that would be great. He could get back to the things that mattered: school, video games, girls, hanging out. That he could deal with. This weird stuff… he wasn't equipped for it. So why did it keep happening to him? He couldn't turn into a shinigami or shoot lasers out of his hair. It just wasn't fair that he be singled out like this. Best to let the really exceptional people like Ichigo and Orihime handle all the supernatural business. That made much more sense.
As the pack moved on through the pitch-black environs, Asano idly wondered who else was going to join them down here. This lot had mentioned a third person. Would it be Orihime, or Don Kanonji? Either one might prove more than the monsters could handle. Actually, not so much the Don, he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. And who could blame him?
Well, I guess I could. Kinda his fault I'm in this fix. But we'll find out soon enough who's next.
"It's coming this way. Moving kinda fast."
"Will it cross the tunnels?"
"Of course it will, there are routes all over the desert! We just have to find the right spot to set the trap. Move, before it passes us by!"
There was the sound of running after that, and several turns. The creatures panted and swore as they raced towards some location. Eventually, though, their flight ceased.
"Okay, it's heading straight for us now. Damcyan! Make the pit already, curse you!"
"Don't throw orders at me! I know what I'm doing!"
A rumbling shook the tunnel then, and soon after there came a soft hissing sound that reminded Keigo of sand running through an hourglass. There was no point trying to warn whoever was headed towards them. Even if he could shout, they wouldn't hear him all the way down here. Just had to hope whoever it turned out to be packed the whallop that Keigo and most other people he knew lacked.
Abruptly the hissing increased into a downpour, and just like before the ceiling opened up to allow him to see what was going on ahead, just as someone fell through the roof with a short scream.
To his dismay, coughing and flailing on her back before them lay Kunieda Ryō. So much for saviors, Asano thought glumly.
Even as his hope of rescue died, one of the Hollows was lunging forward to snatch up their latest prey. While disoriented by the fall, Kunieda must have still seen it coming, for she quickly rolled off the mound and turned to make a run for it. But even their school track star wasn't fast enough to escape the gruesome spirit. As she took off, talons snapped out and caught hold of the back of her shirt. With an angry shout, the girl planted her foot and drove forward in a desperate attempt to free herself. So great was her effort that the fabric tore to shreds through the monster's claws, and for a brief moment she was bounding forth free.
Unfortunately, the force of this escape proved Kunieda's downfall. Her shoe slammed into the yielding sand and slid out from under her, sending their classmate pitching to one side in a heap. Keigo heard the thing growl as it approached her, and watched it loom over the fallen scholar.
Right then, the beast stopped. It gave a violent start and sprang back to land in a crouch.
For a while no one moved. Keigo now had an unobstructed view of the scene before him. Ryō hadn't budged an inch. The back of her shirt was in tatters. And beneath it, there was something unexpected showing through. Red, and purple, such that he thought the Hollow must have slashed her open. But there was no blood on her shirt. Before he could make anything out clearly, Kunieda Ryō turned and looked at them. As she did, the Hollow quailed backwards.
"N… no!" the one holding Keigo gasped. "We didn't… we thought you were…!"
While it whimpered, the girl's black eyes narrowed in on Asano, seeming to notice him for the first time. She then stood slowly up, and made a curt gesture. "Drop him."
A second later the astonished high school junior hit the ground even as whatever appendage had been gagging him left his mouth. Taking a grateful lungful of air, he immediately remembered the situation he was in and scuttled out of the way to crouch fearfully against a wall.
Kunieda had risen to her full height. She looked, if anything, very annoyed. Like someone had bothered her in the middle of reading a really good chapter in a book. And now, she was going to deal with that uncouth someone. Woe betide their souls.
"What do you think you're doing?" she growled.
"Lagrima sent us!" One of the Hollows had sunk down with its belly low to the floor, looking like a chastised dog in the process. It shifted backward and forward nervously, a beetle trying to figure out which way to run to escape a swooping bird. "She said we were to collect the vessels, not… we didn't know anyone was up there! We just followed the strands she gave us, we already found two, the last one was supposed to be up there!"
The one speaking indicated the Hollow that had held Asano before, as well as another back behind them. Right then Keigo spied Mizuiro, held by this newly exposed ghost. "Hey, Mizuiro!" he cried, too relieved to think about how stupid it was to draw anyone's attention back to his existence. And as one could easily imagine, this got everybody looking at him. At seeing the wrath darkening Kunieda's face, Asano seriously found himself wondering who he was more scared of at this current time.
"Don't talk," the long-limbed athlete declared in a voice that brooked no dissent. Her classmate nodded rapidly to indicate his heartfelt willingness to shut up for the foreseeable future. Satisfied, her attention then moved to Mizuiro and his holder. "Give me that."
Once again, they obeyed. And for the first time it dawned upon Keigo just how strange these proceedings really were. What the hell was going on? Why hadn't the Hollows killed them? Why were they taking orders from Ryō, of all people? Was this some kind of magic?
"Greatness," one Hollow suddenly asked, flinching when she leveled an unpleasant look at it. "If I may… ?" The girl's frown darkened, and while the beast quailed, it still managed to hiss out, "We're not supposed to leave the tunnels. It's the rules… not supposed to… so why were you…?"
"Obviously, she was hunting the last of us."
All heads turned now to Mizuiro, who had settled down with his back against the wall and arms resting on his upraised knees. He looked from one masked face to another, smiling. "Probably just about to catch 'em, too, if you idiots hadn't come blundering along and dropped her down here. I can't imagine Lagrima will be pleased when she hears about this."
What was he doing?! Keigo wanted to ask, but that previous compunction against speaking still lay upon him. Instead he just felt all the blood draining from his face, and his teeth started to chatter. Did Mizuiro actually think they were going to buy a word that came out of his mouth?
"Forgive us!"
Huh?
"We did not mean to interrupt your hunt, great one!"
What the…?
"Damcyan made the pit, blame him!"
"Damn you, Ulserus, I only did what you told me to!"
You know what? Screw it. I'll just accept everything that happens from now on.
"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" Kunieda suddenly barked, causing the groveling Hollows to lapse into silence. Her voice then descended into a deep, wintery chill that made Keigo glad she was not addressing him. "You have ruined my hunt, so be glad I don't exterminate the lot of you. Go back to Lagrima and inform her of your stupidity, I can't be bothered to deal with you fools right now. As recompense, I'll take these humans you've already recovered."
The one who might have been their leader glanced about at his fellows uncertainly. "But what about the last one? It should still be close by, we might yet…"
It then looked down at its hand. The great white mask tilted slightly to the side, as if confused. "What… ? The strand… it's saying…"
Before it could finish, Ryō took three quick steps forward and lashed out, seeming to slap its open palm. The Hollow yelped and scuttled back, cringing in obvious terror, its previous resistance evidently forgotten.
"I said leave!"
This time there was no hesitation. The whole pack just turned and rushed into the darkened tunnel behind them. In a few seconds even the heavy sound of their footfalls had receded away, leaving the three humans alone together.
Through the light coming from the hole overhead, Keigo watched Kunieda peer at something she held in her palm, then with a disinterested shrug she stuffed whatever it was in her pocket and looked at each boy in turn. "C'mon," she indicated with a jerk of her head. "Let's get moving."
"Who are you?"
Both Mizuiro and the person who looked like Ryō gazed at him now like he was a simpleton, but Asano wasn't about to back down. One too many weird things had transpired for him to lapse back into passive acceptance just yet. That would require some answers first. So once again he directed his attention to the normally icy yet still very human girl across from him. "Are you really Kunieda-san? Because otherwise…" and here he took a deep breath to pluck up his nerve, "I'm not going anywhere with you, and neither is Mizuiro."
"Speak for yourself, Asano-san," his friend drawled glibly. "And Kunieda-san, what's that under your shirt?"
He indicated towards her back. Unable to see what he was referring to, Keigo did not fail to notice how their seeming schoolmate flinched and hastily turned away. She then thrust out a hand towards Keigo and demanded, "Give me your jacket!" in a tone that had him scrambling to untie the accessory from around his waist and lob it towards her. Ryō caught it with one hand and swiftly donned their school colors. Now visibly more relaxed, she declared without preamble, "I've got powers now too. Like Orihime and Chad. Follow me and I'll explain."
They did. Mizuiro revealed some Quincy artifact he had 'borrowed' from the Ishida home during one of their previous visits that served as a sort of lamp. This allowed them to proceed through the black tunnels. There was no talk of trying to make it back out the hole. Even if they stood on each other's shoulders, it was only enough for one to reach the edge, and the idea of abandoning anybody did not merit discussion.
In this time, Ryō explained a few things to them. Apparently a few months after their return from Soul Society, while walking alone to school one day she had found herself accosted by a Hollow. While nothing along the level of what they experienced during the war, even this lone scavenger could have quickly sealed the girl's fate. So as it sprang up growling before her, Kunieda had already turned and run for all she was worth. For some reason it didn't give chase. As she escaped, the girl could hear the monster behind her screaming.
Oddly enough, Ryō could have sworn she heard it shout, "Please don't kill me!"
This only dawned on her several blocks later when she stopped to see if she was being followed. Perhaps a shinigami had shown up at just the right time? Or maybe Uryū could be thanked for her rescue. Whatever the case, she chocked it up to good fortune and went back home.
A few weeks later, something else unusual happened. Ryō was with five other girls from the Bonyari High track team on their morning run. She was keeping a deliberately slow pace so as to not outdistance the group, when another Hollow rose from within a creek beside them. This one was bigger than the last, and significantly more menacing, as supernatural horrors went. It raised multiple suckered appendages towards the group of striving athletes, none of whom other than Ryō noticed their peril, but before she could draw breath to shout a warning…
The beast paused, and shook its head perplexedly. It lowered its tentacles. By this point Kunieda had passed it by along with the rest. She stared uncertainly at the Hollow, which seemed to be just as confused as herself. One of the other girls noticed her peering back at the diminishing monster and gave her a questioning look.
In response she turned her attention to the road ahead of them. Their daily routine was completed with a few of the usual catcalls from local guys. But no Hollow attacks. And it got her thinking…
Right around this point in the story, the trio came out onto another tunnel filled with Hollows.
Maybe the boys were still too enthralled by Kunieda's tale to really respond appropriately to this development. Whatever the case, it worked out to their benefit… kind of. One of the creatures who noticed them gave a little jump, and the humans' unofficial leader immediately cut off her tale and grabbed both their hands before she barked, "Where are you going?!"
It bobbed a nervous obeisance. "To His Highness' chamber! Lagrima's orders!"
She gave a quick jerk of her head. "Keep moving!"
Whether it was intended for the boys or the Hollows made little difference. They all obeyed. As a result the three humans found themselves walking on the edge of a gang of spiritual marauders as they trundled through the cave system.
Never in his wildest dreams had Keigo 'Palmprint' Asano imagined he would find himself holding hands and walking with Kunieda 'Armor-piercing' Ryō, to say nothing of the whole trapped-in-another-dimension-with-vicious-monsters angle. It was hard to say which was scarier. But he was smart enough to recognize where his own best interests lay. Mizuiro didn't appear troubled by either development.
"Kunieda-san?" Asano's voice made a mouse squeak seem robust. "What's… going on?"
"We're going to follow the crowd," she supplied under her breath. "If this Lagrima sent out more hunting parties, they'll converge together with their catch. That means any of our comrades they've captured will be there. We'll rescue them and make our way out."
"That settles that." Mizuiro beamed with indefatigable cheer and unquestioning faith. "Can you get back to how we're still alive?"
"I call it 'Intimidation'." Still holding hands, Ryō continued her story as they proceeded along the tunnels. The Hollows either gave them a good deal of space or failed to look at them altogether. "It works along the principles of social peril, the kind that exists in group hierarchy dynamics for all mammals; if you're perceived as intimidating, others treat you with fear and respect, and conversely anyone far beneath you isn't worth your attention."
Mizuiro and Asano glanced at each other as though wondering if the other teen believed this explanation. Kunieda didn't bother looking at them to see what they believed.
"After that second time I sought out a Hollow intentionally. It took me a while, since they're so rare nowadays, assuming they were more prevalent before when none of us could see them. I know it was dangerous, but this time I came prepared. A few family members were nearby with a car ready if I had to get away. Still, something told me it wouldn't be needed. And I was right. When I got close, and the Hollow noticed me, it turned tail and disappeared. There were a few other arranged encounters, also under controlled circumstances, but every time the result was the same. Either the Hollows got scared, or they seemed to lose interest in me altogether. Like I went right off their radar. Eventually I got some of the jittery ones to let slip enough that I figured out what was happening."
"As far as I can tell, there's some sort of field I'm producing that affects hostile spiritual entities in my vicinity. If the attacker is a weak-willed one, my power makes them believe that I'm actually a greater threat than themselves, so it perceives me to be something frightening. A bigger Hollow, or a shinigami captain; anything along those lines. But if the enemy is strong of spirit, my power compensates in the opposite direction, by convincing it I'm so weak that I'm beneath its notice. As a result, I just seem to disappear, along with any indication I was there to begin with. They don't see or respond to me anymore. I can extend this effect to cloak those physically near me if I concentrate, just as one person's social influence can enhance that of their hangers-on."
They encountered no further incidents of note during this recitation. The group continued on its way, following passages down which other Hollows crouched or scampered; in some instances Keigo could have sworn he saw them sweeping the floors like cleaning crews, but they always passed too quickly for him to confirm these odd sights. In a short while their entourage arrived at its destination. Hollows were clustering down the length of a tunnel that ended at two huge stone doors which bore the images of skulls. The three of them stayed on the perimeter of this gathering until the blood god made its appearance, after which the one whom Keigo guessed must be Lagrima deputized them to guard this spot. Observing her reaction, he reasoned she must be of the subservient category. That Barragan thing would certainly never perceive their party to be a threat. While it appeared to notice something was off nearby, it hadn't been able to pinpoint what that might be. Lucky for them. It would probably be for the best if they didn't attract attention to themselves anyway.
At this point in his musings Ryō looked back at her cohorts. "I think we should check it out. Let's go."
"Right behind you, Kunieda-san!"
HUH?!
Keigo's brain managed to register this much before Ryō had once more taken one hand apiece and proceeded to march towards the open doors. Fortunately the old gray matter responded quickly to any voyage into certain death, allowing him to dig in his heels and put a stop to that nonsense.
"Hold it!" the suddenly resolute outcast hissed as his partners turned to regard him. "What's the point of us going in there, really? We don't even know what's going on! Let's just wait and see what happens, okay? It's not like we can stop any of these things when it comes down to it. I'll bet Ichigo is on his way here, or he might be here already! That's probably what those quakes were about before. So let's… just…"
He trailed off upon finding they were both giving him the exact same look.
"W…what?" Keigo finally stammered.
In response Mizuiro said, "I want to know."
"Know what?"
"If there's really nothing we can do like you say," his friend responded simply. "And the only way to find out is to try."
Kunieda nodded. "Like he said."
"Are you both crazy?!" Keigo yanked himself free and staggered a few steps back. It was all he could do to keep from losing his cool and screaming bloody murder at these two insufferably calm freaks. But enough was enough, and it was time for somebody to be the voice of reason.
"So maybe this power of yours got us this far; that doesn't make us safe or… important or whatever, not by a longshot! Guys, please," his voice took on a pleading, urgent tone. "You don't have to try and be like the others. Ichigo, Chad, Orihime… what's the point in trying to catch up to them? They're so far out of our league it would be plain stupid to try and even follow at this stage. Look, I played along with this whole K.O.P.S. thing because it didn't seem like it could do any real harm, but when it comes to fighting monsters… what's the point? Seriously, what? And don't look at me like that, like I'm stupid or a coward or whatever! I'm completely serious! Because deep down you know… you know I'm right about this!"
Panting, he drew to a halt and glared at them, challenging either one to rebuke or dispute his contention. Let them call him whatever they will, it didn't matter. On this he would not give ground. Ryō had a look on her face that told him she was perfectly fine with leaving him to fend for himself. But Keigo got enough of being intimidated in his everyday life. He wasn't about to be killed for more of the same.
In the end it was Mizuiro who broke the silence.
"You're not stupid, Keigo-san. You're actually a very smart guy. And I wouldn't call you a coward. A situation like the one we're in would make any man feel afraid." He then tilted his head and gave a weary grin. "I just don't want to hear anyone else call you that. Because that would make me sad."
Asano flinched. He found himself looking away, unable to meet his longtime friend's eye. Stuffing both hands into his pockets, he was resolved not to let those words affect him. Better than anyone he knew how good Mizuiro was at manipulating people. It's what allowed him to coast through life up to this point. Women threw themselves at him, while completely ignoring Keigo. That was the cross he bore, and sometimes it seemed too heavy a burden. But a man had to keep his self-respect, regardless of how the world treated him. Pride counted for something in this life after all.
Of course, even as he thought this it occurred to him that he did not feel very proud of what he was doing. Should that tell him something?
Hot on the heels of this came the undeniable possibility that some of their friends might be up ahead. And they didn't have the benefit of Kunieda's magic to cower behind for protection.
Coward. The word resounded in his mind, resisting all efforts to banish it.
All right. So I'm a coward. I admit it. So what? Doesn't it keep me alive? Isn't that good?
Only if nobody else dies as a result.
Without another word and to the surprise of only one of his compatriots, Keigo Asano grabbed each of them by the wrist and marched towards the open portals, dragging the pair along with him. They moved hurriedly to keep up with his determined pace. As they passed between the stone porticos Keigo glared at the skulls gazing balefully down at them.
Go ahead and eat my soul. I've got an algebra test tomorrow I haven't studied for anyway. You'd be doing me a favor.
"Good man," Mizuiro beamed beside him.
"Go to hell," he responded as they entered the demon's domain.
The Hollow shambled around a corner and blinked upon finding a sword point directly in its face.
"Where are the humans?" the shinigami standing before it asked.
Its glowing yellow eyes rose to meet those of its bitter enemy, and the creature snarled once before lunging forward to impale itself upon the white soul cutter.
As the bone mask splintered, Rukia could have sworn the Hollow smiled at her while it dissolved away. Great. Another damn fanatic.
"I think we should stop trying to interrogate them," Hitsugaya spoke as he came up behind her, wiping off his weapon. The frozen bodies of several other Hollows were already vanishing at his back into purified butterflies on their way to Soul Society. "Whoever is running the show around here, they're clearly more afraid of it than they are of us."
"As you wish, taichou." Feeling slightly irked, Rukia conjured a small blue-white orb from her palm which she then sent speeding into the tunnel before them, trailing copies to light their path. The two shinigami proceeded on their way.
They were almost at their destination by her estimates. It had taken them a while considering this infernal snake nest was not laid out in any logical pattern she could determine. Tunnels twisted, twined and branched off seemingly at random. The chances of finding either Noboru or Rangiku Matsumoto still waiting for them were pretty slim. And since there was no guarantee her runaway nephew and the lost humans would be in the same spot, she had hit upon the then-brilliant option of asking any Hollows they came across to volunteer information as to the location of either prior to obliterating them.
However what had seemed like a stroke of inspired genius quickly proved to be a sick joke. This lot had demonstrated themselves to be not only more than willing to face them, but if she didn't know better they seemed almost… eager to perish. Something told her it wasn't because they knew a better world awaited them in Soul Society. That type of hopeful anticipation went against their very nature as Hollows.
Maybe it's best we don't know the truth. Concentrate on what's more important.
Silently agreeing with her sword, Lieutenant Kuchiki stole after the head of Leopard Company as he moved forward. Captain Hitsugaya did not appear terribly broken up that her suggestion had proven useless, but neither did he fling its failure in her face. Most likely he remained focused solely on locating Matsumoto; anything else counted only as a side note.
You don't suppose he'd abandon us and take off at the first sight of her, do you? He's not that immature, right?
I barely know the man, Sode no Shirayuki.
I mean, this place is a labyrinth, so it already has the feel of a trap. And everywhere looks identical. I could swear we passed that same intersection twice already. Say, does this remind you of one of those video games Karin used to play? You know, where the woman is running around that 'Kurai-Slur' Building shooting monster vermin?
No, now hush. We're coming out to an open area.
Moments later the two shinigami found themselves in one of the large dimly lit caverns again. Its ceiling was lost to view, while nothing greeted their eyes on the ground but drab stone. The tunnels of this maze gradually slanted at some points, bringing them much deeper below the surface of Hueco Mundo than might first be guessed. She had assumed the mine system ran only a few feet beneath the desert, but a room this big clearly proved that wrong.
Rukia glanced around warily as they entered, sword at the ready. So far the Hollows they encountered had been easy pickings for someone of her caliber, meaning Tōshirō hadn't needed to exert himself in the slightest. He somehow even made unsheathing his soul cutter look like more effort than necessary. Perhaps that large Hollow they first encountered had been the leader? This did not preclude the possibility that more dangerous opponents lurked just around the bend. With their ability to sense the enemy's spiritual strength still being blocked somehow, overconfidence might spell their undoing. And while the average Hollow posed no threat to a captain, the lost humans had no such protection to speak of.
This got her thinking about Noboru, and a stab of distress made her shiver. The boy had a bad habit of running headlong into danger as a result of, well, arrogance. Perhaps there was no helping that and it was just a family trait, but in a situation like this, such cockiness could fast prove fatal. She had to find him before he bit off more than he could chew. If Ochi-sensei was right and the Hollows did not intend to harm their quarry (yet), then Noboru remained in the greatest danger at this time. Before then, however, there was something she had to try.
The chamber they were in boasted only two exits, and they had just entered through one. That made their choice simple. Without bothering to look around Captain Hitsugaya was already busily striding towards the far cave. "A moment, Captain," she called out to his retreating back. "Would you object if I attempted to pinpoint the humans' location?"
The snowy prodigy paused to flash a nettled look over his shoulder. "Haven't we wasted enough time? I thought you wanted to find this friend of yours as soon as possible."
"We know where he is headed. I am hoping we are sufficiently close that a kidō spell will prove useful. I would hate to learn we walked by where they were being held without even being aware of it." Rukia did not wait for permission and had already dropped to her knees to begin tracing a circle on the floor. "Thank you, sir. This will only take a few seconds, I assure you."
Hitsugaya glanced around them, eyes narrowed in frustration. He seemed to have issues with headstrong women. "Fine. Just be quick. I'll keep watch."
The lieutenant quickly busied herself with an inscription while the young captain moved to inspect their surroundings. The drawing was soon complete. In moments she would hopefully get a fix on their helpless quarry. "Heart of the south, eye of the north…"
She registered Captain Hitsugaya check back to assure she was safe before heading away, towards the cave down which they would soon proceed. Rukia could not have wished for a more capable partner, but all the same, she also couldn't help but compare this to another such episode long ago, when she had fought against a horde of ravenous Hollows side-by-side next to someone truly worthy of praise. She had never been given any reason to regret her choice of partner that day. Although truly, he had been the one to choose her, acting as both sword and shield when they were faced by a situation so very similar to what she found herself in now.
"Arrive with the wind and depart with…"
…similar…
A sensation hit her then, hard and fast, like a slap to the face. Rukia's spell broke off. Her head jerked up to see Hitsugaya approaching the tunnel. Dazed, she found herself shouting, "WAIT!"
The captain turned quickly, blade at the ready and confusion on his face at seeing no apparent threat. He might have said something, but if so Rukia did not hear.
She shuddered.
Something else was speaking to her. Not so much a premonition as it was… a familiarity. A sense of unease so intense it was making her ill. I've felt something like this before. I know it. If I can just remember when, it might save both our lives.
Hitsugaya was approaching her. Behind him the cave mouth yawned dark and wide, inviting them to enter. It was like a black throat ready to swallow her whole. Come to me, it seemed to say. Delicious soul. Flush pleasure. I want you. Give yourself to me… The light globes hovered around them, like bioluminescent fish whose pictures she had seen in high school textbooks, fending off the darkness which threatened to engulf her…
Then she knew.
Without delay Rukia sprang forward and grabbed Hitsugaya's sleeve to pull him back. "Hey!" he shouted at her in protest of this treatment. "What are you doing, lieutenant?!"
"Don't go in there!"
The boy captain left off his indignant questioning upon noticing her face. There was neither need nor reason to hide the fear she was feeling. Rukia recognized this specific sensation. Once before, what seemed like ages in the past, she had been alone on her very first assignment in the mortal world, working to relocate souls that had been lost in the depths of the ocean. Omnipresent darkness had made up the surroundings then as it did now. And something came upon her unawares while she toiled all unwitting down there. It appeared without warning. No sense of spiritual perception or even sight preceded it; only the sheer unmistakable realization that she was in deadly peril. Rukia almost perished that day, she was sure.
Because of this, there could be no doubt the exact same thing was approaching them now.
The lights in the room seemed to dim.
Perhaps we should run?
Too late.
From the tunnel, it emerged. And saw them.
It was not a Hollow. Or at least, nothing any previous experience could have prepared her to accept as one. This thing seemed to be composed of thick, pulsing blood. It loomed three times their height, a skeletal warrior astride a bony steed with its own head held in its hands. Red eyes turned on them, and Rukia found herself reflexively snatching up her weapon in defense as this charnel titan entered the chamber.
She heard Tōshirō curse even as he interposed himself before her, Hyōrinmaru's blade angled before his body. There was a ghostly glow of frost and spiritual power emanating from the weapon, and the great glaive on its chain now resembled more than ever a crescent moon. This was the only illumination that remained undaunted by that horrid presence. Rukia felt fear shoot up her legs, rooting her to that spot so she didn't dare move a step. She couldn't have run now even if she wanted to, and heaven forgive her, but she did.
"Kuchiki-fukutaicho, get out of here. That's an order," she heard Hitsugaya state softly. His eyes remained fixed upon their enemy.
The thing before them absorbed the sight of a boy facing it down. To Rukia's horror, it then looked past him to focus on her.
"You?"
It took a few steps in, bringing with it a terrible stench of blood. "We could almost belie…" The gruesome specter let out a breath then, its bulging eyes roaming about the room. A ripple seemed to emanate throughout the creature from back to front. In that instant Rukia could have sworn its pupils glowed green. This subsided before she could be certain, at which point the nightmare chuckled. "No, let's dispense with that much at least. It grows tiresome, and there's no one else to hear and wonder. I was just about to say I could almost believe someone planned this. Perhaps he is right, and there is a measure of design to everything; goals that we are meant to achieve. I could almost believe it now."
The head turned slowly between them, and to her horror, those fleshless lips actually curved in a smile, the representation of a skull now twisted into something that bore a shocking resemblance to a real face. "Why else would I be given another chance to eat you, girl?"
Hitsugaya stepped forward to meet the monster. "I told you to leave, lieutenant," the lone hero threw back behind him.
These words snapped Rukia out of her trance. Trembling fingers tightened around Sode no Shirayuki's hilt, but she did not withdraw. "Don't be foolish, taichou." The girl swallowed her fear and stepped forth to join him. "You can't fight that alone. We both know it's vasto lorde."
"And just how much of a difference do you think your contribution will make?"
His voice was cold, cruel; obviously meant to hurt, to break her resolve and force her to flee. Fortunately Rukia had prior experience with this sort of thing. Long experience. And if Tōshirō sought to drive her off with harsh words, he had a long way to go before he could ever approach Byakuya's level. With icy dignity the lady of Seireitei came up to stand at his right hand. "I will do whatever you command in this fight, taichou. But a Kuchiki does not run from death."
At this the blood god reared on its hind legs to paw the air with its hooves. "Don't fret, girl. I was only teasing you. Like this, there's no satisfaction to be gained from consuming you in the slightest. A waste of a long-anticipated meal, I should think." The demon finally turned its attention to the captain boldly facing it. "You, however, are a different story. Dead is dead whether I'm fully present to enjoy it or not."
A crackle of frost and ice worked up Hyōrinmaru's sickle, indicative of its master's slow-building wrath. "The kicked dog of a traitor holds no menace for me, Segunda Espada. Or do you prefer Barragan Luisenbarn? I assume this is all that's left of you after Zero Company finished."
If he had been expecting to anger it, his jibe had missed its mark once again. The Hollow King merely laughed as blood ran from its jaws like drool. "I admit I'll miss the opportunity to find out how you taste, snowdrop. But Aizen made his wishes regarding you very clear."
Rukia saw Hitsugaya's back stiffen, a moment before his angry snarl broke the air. "BAN-KAI!"
In an instant he was engulfed in a cocoon of white mist and bitterest cold, and it was then the Espada struck. From out of one bony palm a long red liquid spike shot forth streaking straight towards the two shinigami. Rukia shouted, "TOZANSHŌ!" only to watch her half-formed magic pyramid bend and shatter before the force of that assault, not even serving to diminish its approach for a half second.
But even a momentary stay was enough. A longsword flashed, the reiatsu level of the room surged, and the next thing she knew the lieutenant of Heron Squad was halfway across the cavern being settled back on her shaky feet. Two icy wings parted before her, and Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned away to face their opponent, now hovering a few feet off the ground with hands and feet become talons of ice. Both cold and power poured off him like a miniature blizzard.
The Segunda had not bothered to move from his previous location. Instead Barragan took to examining his thwarted weapon, now seemingly frozen solid into a black icicle for along halfway down its length. A bubbling snort emerged from the horse's head, after which the surface of the ice spear cracked and shattered into rigid shards. Those daggers then stuck straight out in the manner of an agitated porcupine's quills. Doing so revealed that beneath the ice there remained a thick tendril of blood untouched by the captain's attack.
"More bothersome than expected," the Hollow general mused. "Normally such tricks would be embarrassing at best, but like this…" His head turned to regard them, and once more a smile warped that blood pudding mask. "You might actually keep me entertained for a few minutes."
Quickly Rukia stepped to one side while gripping Sode no Shirayuki in readiness to join the battle, only to find Hitsugaya had moved to keep himself interposed between them.
"I won't be responsible for your death," he whispered. "Run and bring help!"
Perhaps he intended this to be less scornful than his previous efforts. For all the good that did. "Captain," the girl spoke as calmly as she could, "we will fight or flee together. Either way, do not hold back on my part."
Tōshirō spared a glance over his shoulder to see determination spelled clearly on the lieutenant's face. "You'll die if I don't."
This terse statement made her shiver, and quickly Rukia strove to master her reaction lest he get the wrong impression. "I can withstand levels of ice reiatsu other shinigami might not. You must let me attend to myself if we are to prevail!"
"Such bravery," the monster drawled. It indicated down the tunnel they had entered from with a leisurely sweep of one arm. "Do as the whelp says and leave. I'll let you run, girl. How far you get is up to me."
At that mockery Hitsugaya's spiritual manifestation increased even further, causing freezing winds to whip throughout the chamber. More tendrils sprouted from the horror's body in response. The frozen shards then sank into their fount only to reemerge once again at the tips of these extensions, which had taken on the appearance of fanged serpents whose jaws now bristled with gleaming icicle teeth.
Tōshirō sprang forward as though launched from a cannon, wings extended and nodachi sword pointed down to leave hoarfrost spreading in its wake. The red forest of snakes spread out to intercept him.
Meanwhile Rukia Kuchiki had already plunged her weapon into the ground several times in preparation. Neither of the two combatants was paying her any attention. They had eyes only for each other. It seemed there would be no more attempts at debate. Rukia had made her choice in spite of their shared opinion as to her worth. She only prayed to prove them both wrong.
"TSUGI NO MAI: HAKUREN!"
No doubt about it. The bats had picked up speed as they drew down. Like the closer they got to their goal, the faster they wanted to move.
When they did finally descend into a huge pit torn out of the desert, Kon had not stopped to question. He simply threw himself down the hole, come what may. It was almost a relief not having to restrain himself quite as much as before. He had no time to consider the details, much less a very real and growing sense of unease. Judging by the number of shinigami war troupes he had passed getting here, something big was about to go down. They all looked to be converging on this spot. Nice to find them so attentive. On the other hand, if a battle did start, he would much rather the innocent bystanders be well away.
Now a whirlpool of winged forms was tearing down the dark tunnels. The mod soul found himself even more appreciative of his new body than before. Not only was he not even the slightest bit tired from running all this way, but he could see perfectly well in the lightless gloom where he now found himself. Didn't have to turn on night vision or anything; the whole environment leapt out to his eyes in some way he could immediately perceive without any effort.
Kon passed Hollows of all shapes and sizes. By his viewpoint they were all moving like slugs, unable to register his passing any more than their enemies had. If he was fast enough, he might just be able to get the kids out of here before anyone could even pick up his trail.
The bats banked in a group down twists and turns without fail. It was like each and every one of them knew exactly where to go. Or they were following a lead bat. Either way, judging by how they all picked up speed, the fleet-footed tracker judged he had almost reached the end of the line. Soon the chase would end.
Then he might have no choice but to fight.
The strand on her harp was vibrating rapidly now. Lagrima used this to home in on her target. Passing by other Hollows scuttling about their duty, she strove to project a confidence that she in no way felt.
They could all sense it now. Like a weight pressing down on them from above, enough that it would be no surprise if the roof caved in. Somewhere over their heads, a large force of shinigami was gathering. Their combined strength was abominable, enough to make the priestess doubt her chances of survival. Not that such filth could ever triumph against His Majesty. He would destroy them all. But this still in no way guaranteed the rest of them would survive. It was their lot. Death might arrive at any moment.
At last she came upon one of the larger caverns. It was here Lagrima found what she sought, and the sight left her feeling chilled on several levels. Towards one end of the room there had been a cave-in. Whether natural or not, it left the tunnels open to the cheerless sky of Hueco Mundo. A cold wind blowing in might have been what caused her to shiver. Or it may have had something to do with the frozen pillar at the center of the floor. Upon approaching, she could clearly distinguish the majority of Berrinholtz. The bulky Hollow was frozen completely. His head lay a few paces off, also encased in a block of ice.
Upon closer inspection, however, she was relieved to find that his core had not been damaged. Whoever did this presumed a decapitation would be sufficient to end the matter. And with anyone else it might have been. How very fortunate the Huge Hollow was slightly more than your average brute. Precisely why His Majesty had placed His faith in him.
Lagrima settled the full urn upon the ground with utmost care. She then selected an appropriate string and plucked it. The sound it made was of a pitch that went beyond hearing, beyond perception. Its effect was to cause the glacier to shudder slightly. Frowning, Lagrima grasped the strand between thumb and forefinger, causing one half to still while the other continued to vibrate.
Ice began to splinter and split. Very cautiously the musician slid her pinched fingers ever higher, and the pitch of her note rose in accordance, becoming a keening knife of sound. This dagger almost visibly coalesced in the air before her to thrust deep into the frigid prison with all the desperate vehemence she could muster. At last the ice burst into pieces to fall in blocks and shards all around them, leaving head and body free.
For a few moments nothing else moved in that lonesome place. Lagrima was just considering plucking a more specific strand to get a response when a voice spoke.
"Everything all right here, boss?"
The seneschal whirled to find she had been joined by two other Hollows. The turncoats, Loly and Menoly, stood a ways off. Fear seized upon her. Could they be here to exact revenge for her previous treatment? The despicable wretches, taking advantage of this chaotic situation, how dare they!
A rumble came from behind her. Lagrima knew instant relief. Glancing over one shoulder she observed the torso give a slight quiver. Its huge feet shuffled forward, and the headless beast bent down. Those fearsome talons exercised surprising gentleness in retrieving its skull. With that it reconnected head to shoulders, and once more Berrinholtz stood whole again. While unable to free himself from the spectral ice on his own, he was now capable of exercising his full power in her service. Though any enemy that could immobilize such a dreadful opponent bore consideration. And if His Majesty came upon it, such means of attack might prove… difficult… considering his current avatar state.
Of course there was the immediate question of her unexpected intruders. Now feeling distinctly more assured she rounded upon them and declared in imperious tones, "Why are you lurking about here? I have already given you orders I expect to be obeyed!"
A glance passed between the two that told her everything. The black-haired one raised her chin. "We were concerned about your safety. We came to…"
"Take me unawares?" Kneeling to retrieve the precious jar, she felt Berrinholtz come up at her back to regard them with an angry growl. The masked minstrel did not hide a smirk when she spoke next. "Whatever happens today, rest assured we will triumph. And any traitors shall be dealt with in the aftermath."
Menoly bristled, but the sheer implied threat of Berrinholtz kept any protestations from leaving her lips. All the same, Lagrima was still feeling angry at that previous suspicion. Perhaps now, before the inevitable fight started, it would be advisable to trim the deadweight. No need for any explanation afterwards, really. Not for this dross. His Highness would give their disposal little concern.
Perhaps less than He would give me if I were to have been killed.
Shock at this admittedly traitorous thought left her even more angry than before. Her life did not matter! Only the mighty Barragan need emerge from this debacle for victory to be theirs. But that didn't mean she needed to meet death with any… unnecessary regrets. One need not begrudge any and all desires in service to one's god. So resolved, Lagrima turned her head to give the order for their execution.
"Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!"
In the next instant Loly and Menoly were flat on their backs, pinned to the ground by a bristling collection of slender crystal poles before they could so much as cry out.
Lagrima could not give this occurrence quite as much of her attention as she might like, considering there was now a bared sword held to her throat. She froze, eyes riveted to a nondescript spot on the wall, afraid to so much as breathe.
"Don't move an inch, big fella!"
The sound of a woman's voice. A stirring at her back might have indicated Berrinholtz being denied the choice to take action.
"What are you waiting for? Take their heads while they're down."
"Without even getting to know them? Why not do your own killing, asesina? Emphasis on ass."
"Cute. So… Lagrima, right? Are you the one in charge around here?"
It was difficult to move, much less talk. The realization of her own impending murder had not granted Lagrima any of the calm focused intensity some people had spoken of. Instead all she knew was shivering terror, combined with a humiliating impulse to beg for mercy.
"If I was going to kill you we wouldn't be having this conversation. I can't ask questions to a butterfly. So before the other shinigami crash the party, start by telling me what you needed this for."
Whoever was talking tapped the bottom of the jug. This served to reignite some sense of pride in the captive Hollow. Her fingers began to inch towards a string on the harp. To cover this she spoke, "There is no sense in discussion. You will all perish soon, heretic!"
"Oh! Heretic! That tells me a lot! You're one of Barragan's flunkies, aren't you?"
A quick flash of confusion and suspicion followed by outrage. "Do not dare to speak His name, shinigami! We are–!"
"Ichimaru says hi."
Her knees almost gave out. The only thing that prevented Lagrima from pitching to the floor was the sharp steel held firmly to her jugular. This did not prevent a moaning sob to escape. Memories came flooding in. Once more she was back in that tiny lightless cell, feeling her anxiety building with every passing second. Would he come for her first? Had someone already broken and revealed His Majesty's secrets? There was no way to tell. She might already be condemned to death. Then the door opened. The silver-haired snake came walking in with a smile, and before she knew it Lagrima was screaming out anything of value she could lay claim to knowing in the hopes that it would stave off being tortured to death.
He broke me before he even came into the room. Without lifting a finger.
With that, Lagrima was off.
"We have been harvesting essence from humans who were in close proximity to vasto lorde! They carry a taint upon their living souls as a result of the master race's influence! Combined with the energy of a mortal being who has never known death an effluvia can be rendered which serves as a restorative for the Undead who has been brought to the precipice of annihilation! Nine human vessels were initially identified with one transferred to a location that saw it removed from consideration! Harvesters crafted from what remained of his flesh were then able to extract this elixir and bring about a partial restoration! The humans were kept alive in order to continue producing more of the restorative! Using samples of their hair which were stolen while they slept I could keep track of them! At His Majesty's order we have sought to remain undetected in order to gradually achieve full revival at which point we shall emerge and decimate the shinigami! I was assigned to oversee this action! We were not permitted to leave the caverns! All went smoothly until a few hours past when a large quantity of harvesters returned at once followed by my realization that seven of the vessels were now in Hueco Mundo! We resolved to capture them in order to administer a feeding directly! Two of the humans were located and brought to the chapel but one of them injured him further and before we could proceed my dreamcatchers were destroyed followed by an alert that our refuge had been penetrated! His Majesty emerged in avatar form to do battle with the invaders and I was assigned to locate Berrinholtz to confirm he was ready for combat!"
When she could think of nothing more that might be relevant, Lagrima fell silent.
No words were spoken for a while.
"Wow. Now that's how an interrogation is supposed to work. Nice going, Bouncy!"
"Honestly, I didn't think it would be that effective. Well, anyway, thanks for your help and enjoy Soul Society."
The edge of a soul cutter was just starting to press in when a shout came. "WAIT! I've got some questions for her!"
"… no, you don't. We're taking this vasto lorde juice and getting–"
"Oy, Blabbermouth! Who's the one responsible for sending the Wild Hunt to Earth recently?"
She answered immediately. "A former member of…"
Before she could finish, a shove sent Lagrima flying. In panic she dropped her harp to clutch the precious flask as she fell, cradling it to her chest with a desperate mania. Even as she hit the ground there was a confused blur of images. A golden-haired woman springing forward; two blades colliding together, one held by a disembodied arm; Berrinholtz charging with a bellow as a brown-skinned youth shouted something moments before the Huge Hollow was sent rocketing back; the flash of a Cero, followed by the sound of breaking glass and two voices shouting…
"POISON, ESCOLOPENDRA!"
"STING, ESCORPIŌN!"
Moments later she felt a sharp increase in energy from the two apostates as they activated their resurrecciónes. Both sprang furiously at the shinigami and the boy, who met them head-on while Berrinholtz strove to extricate himself from a wall. But Lagrima could concentrate on none of this. A strange gray pall had fallen over her vision that leeched away any and all hues. At the same time, a hand came down on her arm.
"Let's go."
To her astonishment, the priestess found another Hollow kneeling at her side. Half of a sharp-featured face showed, grim of mouth and dark of look. The remaining Hollow mask was dominated by a tremendous eye boasting only a small black pupil in the manner of a chameleon, overshadowed by an outthrust horn. Lagrima felt certain she had met this person before, but a name… wait…
"You are… Decima?"
"Tessima." The small arrancar took an arm to help her up. Both stood together for a moment before looking over to where that savage battle continued. "Don't worry," Enfain Tessima stated. "They can't see you now and the sombras still hide our reiatsu. No more words, they might hear us. Just follow me."
Dumbly, still clutching her oenochoe jug like it was a lifeline to sanity, Lagrima trailed along as her unexpected savior led them down the tunnel from which she entered. Soon enough the sounds of battle diminished behind, and it was only the two of them.
"Where are you taking me?" she finally thought to ask.
"Out," Tessima stated tersely. "This base is lost. We'll have to move to one of the other staging areas."
Out? Lagrima tried to puzzle over the implications of this admittedly simple statement. They could leave? Had the great Barragan seen fit to grant her the freedom she so desperately craved?
Fool.
He would never do that. She was meant to serve Him until His return. And even if He did… His Majesty would never send a wretched unmasked traitor like this to inform her.
I must go to Him. My place is by Barragan's side. I must inform Him what is transpiring. Confess my sins. He will know what to do. His will is law. I must accept the punishment that is my due. But the wretch Tessima would surely seek to stop any attempt at escape. And her harp was gone along with any refined means of attack. The odds of her emerging victorious from combat were not good; Lagrima had never been of the warrior caste in any case. However there were other means at any sufficiently advanced Hollow's disposal.
When they approached a junction in the tunnel, she seized this opportunity. As soon as Tessima preceded her down the path, Lagrima fired bright green Ceros from the air holes in her mask. The destructive attack tore into the ceiling, bringing rock and sand pouring down between them. She could hear the arrancar's enraged shouts over this tumult, but by that point she had already ducked through the downpour and made her escape down the other branch.
"Tatsuki-san! Wake up! Please!"
Mom? A dull ache that seemed to originate from her whole body left Arisawa wondering what she had been doing last night. Was there a match? Is that why she felt so bad? Need to get a hot shower, ease out some of this soreness. Gotta go to school… wait…
"Tatsuki-san!"
Mom doesn't call me 'Tatsuki-san'…
This thought roused her further. She stirred, only to find that this jolted fresh stabs of pain behind her eyes and into her spine. For a moment Tatsuki Arisawa just lay there, teeth clenched to keep from crying out at this agony. Was she being attacked? Can't move… what's going on?
The pain brought it all back to her. With it came fresh determination and a rekindling of her spirit. So resolved, the furious young warrior fought past the torment that felt like she was being peeled alive and managed to open her eyes.
They were still in the burial chamber. A few paces off Chizuru Honshō lay watching her anxiously. When their eyes met the redhead gave a gasp of laughter. "Oh sweet Isle of Lesbos, am I glad you're up!"
'Up' did not exactly cover her current condition. Tatsuki could not so much as move a finger. This seemed to be related to the unremitting torture throbbing in every nerve. She couldn't tell if it had receded any from the initial assault which had previously knocked her out, but at the very least she was now conscious. A step in the right direction even if all she could manage was a pained grunt in response.
"You've been out for a while," Honshō breathed. The girl did not move as she spoke, instead lying in a discarded heap much the same as Tatsuki. The only difference was she did not appear to be under any lingering influence save for paralysis. And that might wear off. "Those Hollows left. I think somebody might be here to rescue us! It sounded like there was a fight! Did you feel that rumbling? Can you move? I'm still stuck from what that faceless harpist did to us. Do you think we should shout?"
A dry rustling overhead reminded Tatsuki of their situation. Regardless of what Chizuru said, they were decidedly not alone in here.
The vampire still lay in its bed. Ensconced within the sepulcher, it remained as immobile as they were now. Otherwise it would surely be feasting on them. She could just barely make out its shape from the corner of one eye. The thing didn't appear to be breathing. Could it be dead? Had she killed it? Or had it never been alive at all? Despite the pain Tatsuki desperately wished for a clearer picture of what their situation might be.
"Hey! More bats!"
Looking over, Arisawa found Honshō peering in astonishment at something. When she managed to do the same, Tatsuki recognized some of the little creatures that had started this mess. A flock of the dusty bats now hovered overhead, sending out tiny cries that could indicate distress. Within each of them burned a small blue glow. They were like fireflies.
Wonder if this means we're screwed?
There came a slight pop. The next instant Kon was bending down beside them. "Girls?!" the mod soul whispered anxiously, glancing at each in turn. "Are you okay?"
"K-!" This was as far as Tatsuki got before a fresh batch of hot needles plunged into her nerve endings. She simmered in this agony, snarls and spittle emerging through bared teeth. Her whole body felt like one massive throbbing wound.
And then it went away. The relief was so intense she almost passed out again. Startled at this abrupt return to normalcy, the spiky-haired samurai recovered to find Kon holding her hand in his own. The other rested on her knee, but far from seeming perverted, this felt… incredibly soothing. Tatsuki could have wept or passed out from sheer relief. It was only simple curiosity that kept her awake.
"Whu…" Her tongue improved with every second, allowing her to finally get it out. "Wha're yu doong?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I'm transferring a cleansing run into you." He clearly thought she had fallen under the impression that he was groping her. This was so definitely not the case it made Tatsuki ashamed he would ever fear that… which considering this was Kon they were talking about seemed pretty bizarre.
As if in further proof of his chivalry their rescuer quickly supplied, "See, mods weren't made with healing features since we were meant to be put into corpses. Nobody cares if a dead guy gets damaged, right? You just pop us into a new one and off we go again. But this body of mine came about from a more advanced design standard. It's specifically built for someone with my skill set, so it would be a waste to lose. With it I can pull off stunts any other vessel wouldn't be able to handle. One of them is for removing foreign influences. Through the right leg movements I can channel my energy to perform diagnostics and cleanup. Combined with this suit the R&D boys whipped up, if I'm touching someone, that restoration can partially heal them too. I mean, until some real medical people can show up."
Two things leapt out at her then. If Tatsuki looked closely, it seemed like Kon's legs were vibrating as he knelt there, becoming slightly blurred in the process. She could feel the ground shuddering. On top of that was what he had on. It looked to be a wetsuit at first glance, only lacking sleeves and with a head covering that left just his face visible. He was sporting elbow-length gloves of matching skintight appearance. The whole thing was charcoal gray with two thin yellow bands that ran around the outline of his body, giving her the crazy notion that somebody had driven a highway lane divider all over Kon, even including his fingers and toes. This design was pulsing faintly now with a glow that matched those vibrations through the rock beneath them. A pink scarf was wrapped around his bicep. Other than that the only ornament was what looked like two handles attached to either side of his chest. The whole look made her think modern-day ninja. Or luging. One of the two.
At length Kon drew back his support. "You should be okay for the most part." He then swiftly hopped over and performed this same routine on Chizuru, seeming to take less time with her. During that period Tatsuki leveraged herself up to rest against the wall. Even this minor achievement cost her greatly in terms of stamina, so that she was sweating and trembling just sitting there. But it was a definite improvement over pain-wracked coma patient. Tatsuki allowed herself to feel grateful for that much.
While doing so, she perceived the corpse was staring at her.
Only the eyes had moved, rotating in their sockets with a visible effort. Those empty holes for pupils had locked with her own, and Tatsuki felt a rush of dread with the memory of what had transpired here so very recently. Right along with it came the return of frenzied outrage, well-earned and screaming for an outlet.
Unfortunately, when she made an attempt to go after the demon, it only resulted in an ungainly lurch upwards before falling back against the side of the cave. After that disgrace she settled for panting and glaring murder at her attacker. However, this appeared to clue Kon in to the vampire's presence, which he seemingly had overlooked before. Following Tatsuki's gaze, he visibly blanched upon registering that unmoving husk stuffed into the alcove.
With utmost wariness the mod soul rose upright. He looked between the two girls who were now at least capable of movement, then at the creature. It made no response to his presence. Only the bats still fluttered overhead, giving out tiny whimpers of frustration.
Finally Kon blinked and shook his head as though trying to clear it. He slowly bent down once more, never taking his attention from the vampire, and picked up Chizuru. Holding the trembling girl he carefully backed up to crouch before Tatsuki. "Tatsuki-san, can you reach around my chest? The suit's designed for at least one passenger. If you grab the handles up front, it'll trigger a feature that will let me carry you piggyback so I can get us all out of here."
She made no move to comply.
"Tatsuki-chan?" Chizuru peered over his shoulder. "Are you…"
"Are you fucking stupid?!"
The lesbian drew back, startled at the vehemence in those words. Arisawa ignored her and instead hissed at Kon. "What the hell are you waiting for? Do you have any idea what that goddamn thing did to me?! KILL IT ALREADY!"
Tatsuki had to take a few deep breaths to compensate for her exhaustion at getting even that much out. Meanwhile Kon… didn't even look at her! Just sat there like he hadn't heard a word she said! It made her so furious she might have attacked him under normal circumstances. But just when she finally managed to get enough air in to really let him have it, Kon turned around.
She hardly recognized him. The look he gave her held so much contempt it took that hard-won breath away.
"You look like hell, Tatsuki-san."
Taken aback, the bewildered invalid felt a cold stab of uncertainty rush through her.
"For that alone I'll gladly help kick all the ass you want later," Kon continued in a very quiet manner that unnerved Arisawa more than anything else she had encountered today. "But don't you…"
His voice broke right then, allowing them all to finally hear raw unfettered emotion kept right below the surface. When Kon recovered enough to speak there were tears in his eyes. He looked like a person hurting worse than Tatsuki had ever thought possible.
"Don't you ever tell me to kill anybody, got it?! Especially not someone who's… helpless and can't fight back! Because it insults me, and it insults yourself even worse! I don't know what happened here but I refuse to believe you turned into a killer since the last time we met!" Once more he grew calm, his words soft and in complete control. "Now I am getting you home. And unless you're a lot dumber than even I'll ever be, you will hop on and not worry about anything else."
She did. Wordlessly Tatsuki reached under Kon's armpits to find the promised handles. Once she took hold there was a weird hum, and the next instant the girl found herself pressed firmly against his back with both knees tucked up to her stomach. To top it all off there was now a sort of energy web coming out of his wetsuit that encircled her, leaving the exhausted youth in a kind of papoose.
When he felt secure Kon stood up still carrying Chizuru. After making a few adjustments to get a good feel for this new dynamic, he then cast an angry look at the motionless figure reclining in its recess. The vampire watched him back with eyes that held no emotion of any kind.
"If you weren't half-dead already," their rescuer said, "I'd boot your dry carcass halfway across Hueco Mundo. Be happy that it was me who get here first."
He took off back the way he came, leaving the dust devil in its stone coffin.
His robe was more red than white. Frozen blood clotted in his hair and down his scalp. Whenever he moved, droplets of it turned to dark ice in midair before clattering against the floor.
Tōshirō's world had shrunk to nothing but blood, ice… and fear.
Hungry mouths sank into the young death god's wrists, rendering him unable to swing his sword. Uttering a wild scream he brought his icy tail whipping around with such force the tentacles shattered even as they froze. Gasping in relief, Hitsugaya burst free and swept Hyōrinmaru forth with desperate speed to send a volley of ice daggers soaring towards his target.
Before they even cleared half the room, red vines intervened to let the projectiles thud into them, freezing in the process but preventing any real damage to the true enemy. Barragan Luisenbarn had retreated slightly. This was not done from any sense of peril. The great bulk of the vasto lorde now stood blocking the cavern from which he had emerged. A long ribbon sprouted from the hideous fountainhead and snaked across the room to reach the other cave mouth. Once there it simply expanded out, forming a red glistening plug that filled the opening and prevented any attempt at egress from this duel.
The Hollow clearly owned this space despite a deceptively growing resemblance to the young shinigami's natural element. An indoor blizzard whirled throughout the immense catacomb. Gleaming snow was everywhere, piling up in drifts or causing giant icicles to hang from above. Cold was the only thing that had saved Hitsugaya; that and the captain-level body armor he had never been more glad was now standard issue. When any feasting red serpents touched him they immediately turned fragile as glass, but even this was not enough. The damage was done. Those frozen fangs still penetrated even his reiatsu-enhanced clothing. Without it he would have already been torn apart. He bled copiously beneath the armor, and all his enemy suffered in return was a momentary pause while retracting the solidified liquid in order to turn them into more daggers which then attacked from every conceivable angle.
Pivoting on the wing, a blade-sharp maw of teeth only narrowly missed tearing his face off, instead scoring long streaks across one cheek. With blind fury the captain grabbed it in one icy claw, crushing the strand even as several others swooped in. When Tōshirō flash-stepped as fast as he could to get away the blood eels kept apace, slashing at his wings and legs to bring him to ground. The ice regrew, but he did not. Jagged edges opened his flesh from every angle no matter how he tried to dodge. Each wound they inflicted took its toll. He could not outrun them. And they were everywhere.
It was overwhelming him.
The only thing which seemed to give the Espada any pause was what came more naturally to him than breathing: ice. At full ban-kai Tōshirō could now freeze the swarms of red vines completely when they were in close proximity, although it did not hamper their speed or sheer amount. Even with the sub-zero temperatures surrounding them, this had done nothing to hinder the main body. With the razor-tipped tentacles growing by the second he could not so much as approach the decapitated ghoul to attempt a direct assault. Only his ice powers kept him from death, and that would not hold true for long. Very soon this game of cat and mouse would end. His petal timers were down to half already.
What few kidō spells he was able to gasp out had been largely useless, whether cast by him or Lieutenant Kuchiki. True to his word, the archfiend had ignored Rukia after her initial attack proved ineffective. Instead Barragan focused on the arguably more dangerous boy captain. This was not his first encounter against the breed of nightmare known as vasto lorde. But it was the first time effectively alone. He had lost track of Rukia in the last few seconds and did not dare divide his attention to seek her out. She might already be dead.
The girl lives.
I'm going to die, Hitsugaya realized.
That blood body… it must be some type of conjuring. A sending, allowing him to manifest here but not at full strength. Otherwise we would already be dead.
I still can't win, Hyōrinmaru.
Stay calm. If we can break the spell animating him, this battle is won.
Tōshirō could have howled at how calm his zanpakutō sounded. Being outclassed to this degree left him doubting any faith he might have held in his own skills. The 'child prodigy'? He had never felt the first part of that pseudonym so acutely. Tōshirō had been reduced to what so many perceived him to be: a child. Trapped with no way out, facing an opponent that he could not see how to defeat, it was… terrifying!
Tensō Jūrin might be sufficient to end this.
If I do that it could kill everyone near us, even the humans and Rukia, don't you understand?!
Trust in me! I swear no innocent shall perish by my hand! We will not fail!
Their rapport was interrupted as more tendrils streaked towards him. A sweep of Hyōrinmaru clutched in his frigid fist turned them into ice sculptures only to be replaced by more. These he fled from, spinning and dancing across the surface of the cavern as hundreds of hungry jaws pierced the stone walls like bullets all around his flight. Not all of them missed, and their cold bite caused him to scream aloud for the first time. Tōshirō noticed veins of blood threading through his wings; his own, he realized.
Despairing, the heavily wounded captain veered sharply upwards to reach the very apex of the ceiling, and for just a few seconds he had a respite as the nest of ensanguine snakes regrouped in apparent preparation to engulf him. He took advantage of this. Raising his sword on high, the head of Leopard Company hoarsely intoned, "Sennen Hyōrō!"
Moments later the 1,000 Year Ice Prison manifested as five frosty towers arrayed in a semicircle around Barragan. Many of the tendrils were trapped in them, cut in half so swiftly they seemed to disappear in the process, but the sight failed to encourage him. Even with months of training, this was the most he could manage on short notice. All that nonsense with Commander Kuchiki for nothing! Nothing! You worthless child!
At his furious command the iceberg flotilla converged to come smashing against the Hollow's position, hopefully freezing and grinding it to powder.
At that instant every single tentacle in the room turned to ice.
Hitsugaya remained floating near the ceiling, bewildered. His misty breath was disturbingly red, the taste of blood sharp and cold in his throat with every gasp. But wherever he looked no new attacks emerged. Only a forest of dark crimson branches through which gale-force winds continued to howl.
Did that really do it? I can hardly believe it's over. Wait, what about Rukia?
He turned his head to look for her.
A reiatsu so dense it was virtually solid hit him in the back…
FLY!
… right as a spear took him through the chest.
For one long second he was too exhausted to even fully comprehend. It felt like just one more wound out of dozens. Only when he tried to breathe and realized he couldn't did Tōshirō fully comprehend what had happened. Dully he looked down to find the tip of a league-long black icicle an inch shy of piercing his heart. This single grotesque shaft had punched through one of the icebergs with ease to reach him high overhead.
A shiver wracked his frame, and the blood spear snapped. With it went the last of his strength. The fingers of his right hand unclenched to let Hyōrinmaru drop, followed moments later by its master. Like a lead snowflake he plummeted earthwards to be enveloped in a pile of snow.
Shattered remnants of frosty stalactites fell all around. The 1,000 Year Ice Prison soon followed, crumbling into fragments that steamed faintly. At their heart stood the King of Hueco Mundo, Barragan Luisenbarn. Uncontested, the ghastly giant rode forth, semi-solid hooves clipping against the ice. At the same time, though, his crowned head turned to gaze intently towards a far wall. Once more emerald stars burned within the sockets before receding into darkness. Yet still his attention remained riveted off to the side. And all throughout the room, that same deathly spiritual aura from before hovered like a talon poised to rip out their throats.
"I believe I recognize that scent," the dullahan rasped in thoughtful deliberation even as he came to tower over his fallen opponent. "The shinigami are another matter altogether, but this… will require reinforcements."
Once more a ripple passed over that liquid form. For several moments it remained still. Then the horse stamped its hoof and gave a snort, at which point its rider-partner drew up once again. He looked down to where Hitsugaya remained half-buried in a white barrow that dissolved by the second.
"It seems a most dangerous player has been let off the leash. So our game must end. Die well, little shinigami."
Barragan reached down to deliver the deathblow.
"… no Mai…"
There came a brief flash of white like moonlight on snow. In that same moment the unspeakably long blade of an ice sword had passed through the arm which held aloft Barragan's skull.
"Shirafune!"
This cry coincided with a drop in temperature so violent the liquid bone simply shattered halfway between elbow and wrist. In doing so, the dullahan's head became truly detached from his body.
That crowned skull quite abruptly turned to ash in midair. The rest of Luisenbarn went completely still.
Before the dust could even settle something unseen dropped from the ceiling to land right beside the decapitated tyrant, evident only by the snow crunching slightly. Then Rukia Kuchiki reappeared, Sode no Shirayuki's Third Dance dissipating until it was once more at normal length. As her Curved Light spell dispersed she was running forward to kneel beside the battered captain. He groaned piteously as she rolled him onto his back, and the lieutenant's eyes widened in horror upon seeing the extent of his injuries. Wordlessly she summoned up a healing spell and got to work repairing as much as she could.
At the first touch of healing those blood-encrusted eyes opened. Hitsugaya espied her beside him.
"We did it?"
"Yes, Captain." She threw a troubled look at where the horseman remained unmoving, minus a head. There was no further action on its part. "Drawing his attention to yourself so I could move freely was not the most inspired tactic. But you were correct. Luisenbarn was indeed a composite entity. We needed only to separate the core from its component parts. A sound strategy. I commend you."
"You guessed which it was." He kept his sentences clipped so as not to interfere in the healing.
She smiled in return. "Actually, we have Ichigo's sisters to thank. They shared with me some very valuable advice derived from the vi-de-o games: 'When in doubt, aim for the head that talks'. We are fortunate my Third Dance was strong enough to accomplish even that much."
You are fortunate we zanpakutō could communicate unobserved to share this battle plan.
And you're lucky to be alive, dragon.
Mutual respect and cooperation won this battle, young lady. Luck mattered very little.
If you weren't older than dirt, I'd be tempted to call you a bald-faced liar.
Their soul cutters continued to argue on the periphery of both their consciousness. For his part the boy captain's attention remained fixed on the motionless arrancar. A slight exhalation through his nose was the only sign of the immense pain Hitsugaya now experienced. Otherwise his face was cold as ice. "We should leave. No telling if he can come back from this… or when."
"This healing will take time."
"Just patch me up!" A bit of agony leaked through, making him snap. He recovered and made an effort to remain reserved. "There's a new danger."
The girl's face grew somber then. "Forgive me, Captain. I did not intend to delay my counterattack so long once you were hit. Only this reiatsu…" She swallowed then, sweat dripping down her throat. "It was hard for me to move in it. I feel like I am being crushed even now."
His emerald eyes locked with hers. He could see the effort she was making not to appear overwhelmed by that sickening force which still threatened to subsume them both. More than this, though, a palpable sense of unease had become visible in her manner which no amount of noble discipline could completely hide.
Will you dare to ask?
Will she admit the truth?
"Rukia-san."
She did not look away. "Sir?"
It felt rude to badger the princess like this. Perhaps a result of his time spent at Kuchiki manor. But the more immediate trauma helped override any sense of decorum. Discretion had never been a hallmark of his personality anyway. "Do you recognize it?"
Rukia swallowed before speaking next. "Yes, sir. And if I am correct, I understand that we must do our duty… as shinigami."
Thanks to the healing it no longer felt like he was missing a lung. Somehow, though, the sight of her barely contained grief felt worse. Quickly Tōshirō opened his mouth to offer some comfort.
Rukia hit the ground beside him. She drew in a gasp of air which emerged again as a scream from her throat. A huge red hand pressing on her back squeezed harder, eliciting further cries.
"Down, girl."
The Espada stood bestride them. His head was back. Only now, it was where you might normally expect it to be: on his neck. An even greater difference was that far more than just a skull gazed down at them. There had emerged a face, still composed of blood but with eyes and mouth that smirked cruelly. Very beautiful. Very cold. The face of a predator, one Hitsugaya recognized. He had seen it before, during the Autumn War, when he fought what turned out to be nothing more than an illusion concocted out of his worst fears.
Tia Halibel crooked a smile filled with teeth made of frozen blood at her two soon-to-be victims. "Give us a kiss," the Segunda chuckled, and bent down with hungry mouth wide.
Keigo looked around the royal chambers. As far as they could tell, there was nothing overtly threatening to be found here. If you discounted the swimming pool filled with blood, of course. A bath of blood. Bloodbath. Funny. That tube from before was emerging out of it. Other than this very little caught the eye. Blue flames burned in sconces, illuminating a clear space the size of a hockey stadium. The ceiling might have been domed; it was impossible to tell, since there was something that looked to be a carnival tent top high overhead with its edges anchored to the walls. He could find no conceivable explanation for this and so chose to ignore it. Two other passages led out of here other than the one they had entered through. And that pretty much capped the checklist.
"So now what do we do?"
"Keep your voice down."
"What? Your power seems to be working. I'm willing to bet it can't hear us."
"Care to bet your life on that?"
Ryō and Mizuiro stood within two paces of him. Kunieda had agreed to stop holding hands but insisted the boys maintain a fairly intimate degree of closeness with her. Normally Keigo would have had no complaints on that subject. Now, however, he was starting to feel just a tad uncomfortable with the whole scenario. And Mizuiro was right; now that they were here, what were they supposed to do? Look for their friends? Try to find a way out? There certainly didn't seem much that could be accomplished hanging around here.
While he was thinking this, something rose from the pool.
Keigo gave a yelp upon spotting it. Immediately he felt Kunieda's hand clamp firmly on his shoulder. The same was true for Mizuiro. The three of them now clustered much closer together and kept very still. No more words were spoken. Even breathing might have been considered fatal at this point.
It was another tentacle, larger than before but otherwise just the same. This new protrusion emerged from its fount and turned towards one of the other tunnels. As it did, though, the glistening worm paused. It turned from side to side slowly, like it was scanning the environment. Asano desperately prayed to be overlooked, a state of mind honed to artistic depths from long experience with playground bullies. Stay out of sight, don't catch their eye, don't make waves. This is the playbook of the coward. The weakling. The nothing.
After a few seconds, and to his great relief, the worm did not appear to locate them. With that it shot towards the tunnel with frightening speed to disappear into those mysterious depths. Keigo relaxed, letting out his breath with a shaky sigh. His arms were trembling, and unless he missed his guess, so were Ryō's. Kinda nice to know she was human after all. Maybe when all this was over they might actually hook up.
A nothing.
No. Stop that. Whatever just happened, it can't be good. Somebody might even be dying because of it. And I'm just standing here doing nothing.
Being nothing.
Keigo frowned. He closed his eyes.
"Okay." Mizuiro spoke very softly beside them. Though he managed to sound quite relaxed about their current situation, having known his friend for a while, it was evident the charming teen was not so sanguine as might first appear. "Any ideas what that's all about?"
"If we follow it," their leader mused cautiously, "we might find where the others are being kept."
"Beats hanging around here. Asano-san, you ready to vacate?"
No reply came.
"Asano-san?"
He did not respond. The other two exchanged glances Keigo did not see. And that was because… he was thinking.
I am not nothing. I am not a nobody. Maybe that's how I've been forced to live for the last few years, but… it isn't the truth. No one forced me to walk in here. I made that choice. Because I am resolved not to die a coward, at the very least. Mizuiro said I'm smart, and he's my friend. He wouldn't lie. I am smart. I know it. So for maybe the first time in my whole post-pubescent school life, let me see if that can't be put to good use.
What do I know? I'm trapped in an underground Hollow nest in an alternate dimension. Two people are with me, and by all accounts at least two more of us have been captured. We're smack dab at the heart of this evil organization, though. Our friends from Soul Society might be trying to reach us. Ichigo could be fighting for his life right now. Is there anything we can possibly do here that would make a difference in that?
His head tilted back, and he exhaled slowly. Come on. Think.
"Keigo? Are you sick or something?"
At this his eyes opened, and he found himself staring at the ceiling. Or at least, that big tarp stretched above them. He frowned. What the hell was that for, anyway? Was there a way out up past it? It had to serve a purpose. Why would the Hollows put a tent over this cavern? Did it have something to do with guarding the place?
There came a soft sound behind them. Quickly he turned around. Nothing presented itself at first sight, but then he saw over by the wall there was sand trickling down. Not much, but enough to leave a trail of silvery grains across the polished floor. Looking up, he noticed that the anchor points for that tarp left spaces open between it and the wall. Sand must have fallen from above and slid down the material to an out of the way spot.
The sight caused him to remember something. Those Hollows that first caught them had been worried about leaving a hole in the roof. Making a mess. It had actually scared them. And on the way here… hadn't he noticed a few of those monsters sweeping up sand, of all things? Why would they be doing that? What could motivate bloodthirsty killers to become janitors? Were they afraid? And of what? Well, that blood demon, for starters. All orders probably derived from it. So if A equals B, and B equals C, then King Clot told them to get rid of any sand.
Am I crazy for thinking this is important? Would it be stupid to find out?
'I want to know.' That's what Mizuiro said earlier. Well, now I want to know. And the only way to find out is to try. That's right. Here goes nothing.
"I've got an idea."
The other two looked at him in frank incomprehension. Meanwhile Asano was squirming his toes carefully. Yup, still feels like I'm lugging about two pounds in each shoe. There wasn't a chance to empty them out before. That might just be what it takes. But I want to be certain if I'm going to commit myself.
So resolved, he bent down and carefully removed his footwear.
"Uh, Asano-san?" Mizuiro sounded doubtful for a change. "If you wanted to be polite, I think you should have done that before we came in here."
Keigo ignored this. He began to carefully pour the contents of one loafer into another. Don't spill any. Yeah, looking good. "Do you guys have any sand left in your shoes or pockets?"
"Sand?" They both said it at once. It was clear neither had made the same deductive journey as he had embarked on to reach this conclusion. Which might indicate he had gone crazy and his plan was nuts. Let's test that, shall we?
"Yes, sand." Having completed his own preparations as well as able, he then looked expectantly at them. For good measure he kept his face politely blank so as not to lend credence to the very real possibility that this might prove to be a sick joke. "If you have any, pour it into this shoe. Try not to spill it. Like I said, I've got an idea."
The pipeline of blood shot down dark passages without need of light. In a matter of moments this sending had reached its destination, coming out in Barragan's former trophy room, an ossuary now converted into a sort of long-term recuperation center. Or a hospice, depending on how you wanted to look at it.
At the end of the crypt the only occupant remained confined to a crevice dug out of the wall. The tendril approached, only to pause once again. Didn't Lagrima say she had left two of the vessels incapacitated here? A stupid breach of security if ever she heard one. But if so, where had they gone? Why were they not present? Judging by his condition it certainly didn't look as if he had eaten them.
Ah. No matter. She had more immediate concerns.
On the very end of the bloodline, the face of Tia Halibel formed. Like a cobra swaying from side to side, she hovered over the wreck of her associate. Crumbling eyes flickered in recognition. Well, at least he wasn't dead. More than usual, anyway.
"We have a problem, brother," the scylla informed him. "I require your help to resolve it. Do you feel who I am talking about?"
The faintest whisper of sound came from that caved-in chest.
Yes.
There was something deliciously pleasant about his tone. It spoke of hatred that remained white hot in spite of everything which had transpired to him, stirring her endless hunger with its sweet familiarity. She smiled in satisfaction. "I'll need to give you a transfusion of sorts. Some of my essence now resides within you anyway. It should be enough to allow you to accept more, as well as operate independently, a feature I sadly lack in this state. Bear in mind, this is strictly temporary. And if I lose my connection to this plane, you will revert back to normal."
Her head bent until they were eye to eye.
"I have no time to be gentle. Prepare to be filled."
With that, she kissed him savagely. Her eyes flared with emerald radiance that lit the tomb. Green energy shot from her mouth into the vampire. His crumbling body writhed on the verge of breaking apart utterly. But against all reason or sanity, he held on. A will of superhuman caliber animated this thing, and it was this that seized upon the violent gift that had been offered, drinking it down like a shipwrecked man swallowing seawater in a desperate mania to stay alive. The nature of this force was almost as fatal, but still… it felt so good to be glutted like this, he no longer cared what the end result might be.
Eventually Halibel drew back to observe the results of her sacrifice. Ah. Much better.
Before her, the previous undead invalid rose off his bed. Ash had transformed into sleek flesh and bone. A sound of rustling leather echoed through those grim confines. In the dark, green eyes glowed like a cat's.
Without further ado, the resurrected nightwalker flashed down the tunnel in search of his prey.
Behind it, Halibel's head smiled. And turned to dust.
"Can you slow down before I barf?" Tatsuki demanded.
Tearing down junctions and passageways at Mach 8, Kon flicked a glance over his shoulder. "Just close your eyes. It helps. Chizuru figured that out already. See?"
"She's passed out, you moron."
"What?" Their turbo-charged taxi peered at the girl curled limply in his arms. She did indeed appear to have lost consciousness. A brief curse escaped his lips. "The suit's supposed to create a barrier that diminishes the g-forces for passengers. Did I put it on wrong? Shoot! Wish I understood this science stuff better. Whoops!"
Their ride gave a short jump before landing to pick up the pace without pause. "Sorry. Rockslide. Wasn't here earlier. Good thing somebody already cleared it, huh?"
For her part Tatsuki had taken his advice and closed her eyes by this point. It didn't help. The only light down here came from Kon's new duds, and that was barely faint enough to let her distinguish a few inches in any direction. She couldn't really see the environment racing by like a fast-forwarded movie. But that didn't keep her from feeling it. When would this ordeal end? And more importantly…
"Do you even know where you're going, Kon?"
"Don't worry." The mod soul grinned. "My eyes are designed to detect a specific low-level energy left by my footprints. I've been following the trail I left behind! I figure in just a few seconds I'll have you out of here and up top where the shinigami are gathering! Then I'll come back for the others."
They might really be out of danger. That sounded pretty good right about now. At the very least Kon wasn't treating her like… well, like he was just a short while ago. Tatsuki would make a point about discussing that with him later. Explain a few things. Maybe even apologize if it came to that. Strange to think she found herself disturbed by the thought that he might think less of her as a result of what she said back there. Granted there had been the excuse of intense pain and a truly traumatic experience behind it, but still… being rescued by someone she had thought of as just above comic relief prior to all this served as a reminder that people could surprise you. Even yourself.
I never thought I was a killer either.
"Score! There's our way out!"
Tatsuki opened her eyes. Light gleamed up ahead. Were they almost free? She could have kissed Kon. Had it been necessary to make a list of all the people who might have rescued them, she had to admit his name would not have been high in the rankings. And that left the grateful girl just a teensy bit guilty. If he was going to leave them soon in order to throw himself into more danger, she felt it necessary to make one point clear prior to parting.
"Kon, I never…"
"Oh hell!"
"Wazzat? M'I asleep?"
They skidded to a halt. Kon's body was practically rumbling as he exercised some tap-dancing move with his legs that let the human missile halt without his passengers getting launched through the air.
Tatsuki's eyes widened. It sounded like Chizuru was coming around. The three of them were in the middle of a big borehole. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, allowing the faint light of Hueco Mundo's sky to come in and let her see. The possibility of escape did not cross her mind. What was happening here drew the attention of everyone still awake. What little she could make out, that is.
The enormous Hollow Berrinholtz gave a frustrated howl as it smashed sparking mitts deep into the stone, sending up a blaze of ochre energy. Rangiku Matsumoto had already moved to appear behind him. She swung what looked to be an empty sword hilt, but if you looked closely, there was a sort of mist barely visible in the dim light which acted in response to the beautiful blonde's movements. This swarmed around the titan with the liquid grace of a cat, pouncing to engulf its head. Chips and cracks appeared in the mask and a bone ear flew off to clatter against the floor. Still the undead monstrosity only roared anew and rotated on the big black ball of its midsection to face its opponent, seemingly undaunted by this wicked means of assault.
As they watched, another Hollow materialized near Rangiku. This one was human-sized, only with great pincers for hands and a long waving scorpion tail emerging from the small of her back. The poisonous tip glowed scarlet as it jabbed at Rangiku fast enough to leave lagging red after-images in its wake. Their ostensive ally countered with a shimmering translucent shield on one forearm. The interchange was too fast for Tatsuki to follow, but when shinigami and Hollow reemerged in her field of vision a few yards off, Matsumoto was sporting no injuries she could see, and the Hollow was now on the run from that mist attack.
"Feliz atterizajes!"
Something exploded into the floor several yards away to raise a big cloud of dust. If you looked carefully there seemed to be a long red line coming out of the haze, but this disappeared so swiftly as to leave one doubting their senses. Instead as the haze settled around that fresh-dug pit there was revealed another small Hollow reminiscent of her partner, only with a much longer segmented tail and whip-like arm extensions of similar design. She awkwardly attempted to extricate herself without success. Drawing in a deep breath the arrancar bellowed, "YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
Halfway across the room a kid in white shirt and dress pants dropped down to earth. He grinned with utmost mischief, white teeth gleaming against caramel skin while he leaned lazily against a bo staff.
"C'mon, bonita. I told you that would happen, didn't I?"
"NOBORU?!" Kon screeched. He was so shocked he actually let go of Chizuru, who gave a painful yelp as she landed, apparently now fully roused from slumber.
In response the preteen seemed to notice them. "Kon?" Noboru Kouki came upright, his staff now at the ready and no longer looking quite so cocky. "How did you get here?"
"How did you?"
At this point Berrinholtz turned and spotted the newcomers as well. It rumbled softly before lifting its arms which began to rotate at the elbows like drills. Sparks flew from every joint and the eyes now reminded her of fireworks on hanabi. Huge conical feet pounded the floor in readiness.
"Grow!"
Berrinholtz launched forward, but the Hollow had not proceeded one step before it tripped over a red pole which now traversed the entire length of the cave, golden tips anchored firmly against the walls. It hit the floor with a boom. The light show died out instantly.
The next thing Arisawa knew Noboru was standing beside them. "You were saying?" he asked.
Everyone, including Tatsuki, stared at the boy. They all knew him. He was another of Rukia's employees at the Usagi Shoten, just like Kon. She had been fairly certain he might be a shinigami, or at least not human, considering he lived in a house of the living dead. But to suspect and to have it proven were two different things.
Farther back the first enemy he took down finally rose upright with a scream, bone tentacles snapping and ready to strike. Without looking behind him Noboru suddenly yanked his arm up. Only then did Tatsuki notice the crackling line of yellow energy held in one fist. The other end was attached to that Hollow's ankle, and as he pulled, she lost her balance and toppled backwards into the pit with a yell.
That was definitely a soul cutter he was sporting, and that bit with the pratfall looked like kidō even to an untrained eye. Noboru then finally spied her strapped to the mod's back. "Oh, hey, it's the angry one. Hola, furiosa! Talk about real nightmares, eh?"
"Will you quit screwing around?" Kon glared at his coworker reproachfully. "We need to get them out of here. They're in danger!"
"What, from these goofballs? C'mon!"
As if to emphasize this a scream sounded. When they looked to find its source a claw went clattering across the floor leaving a trail of blood behind. Not far off the scorpion girl was frantically scooting backwards in an impression of how crabs walk. This was made more awkward by the fact that her left arm ended in a bleeding stump which she now cradled to her chest. Rangiku Matsumoto trailed slowly after, the lethal grey mist whipping about its mistress. Her face gave Tatsuki chills. Pure condemnation. Like that of an executioner. Regardless of what anyone had to say on the subject, those black robes and merciless cold blue eyes could only belong to a true god of death. At seeing this the panicked monster girl snatched up her severed claw and scuttled towards where her fellow arachnid was trying to get up only to take another tumble courtesy of Noboru's rope.
Kon gave a shiver and broke off from staring to chastise his younger associate again. "Look, there are more girls lost and until we find them I need you to-"
Right as he spoke Berrinholtz came up with another deafening roar, a Cero building in its jaws.
"Oh, screw this!"
Everything happened so fast. Next thing she knew Tatsuki was moving again. The giant bear loomed above them. Then she was spinning, or Kon was, his foot coming around in a blaze of yellow energy like a match snapping to light.
She heard it hit, followed by that two-story titan impacting against the cave wall hard enough to leave a Hollow-shaped hole behind it. Berrinholtz slumped in a loose-limbed heap.
Tatsuki's head was in a whirl. It felt like she might pass out for a second. Through the disorientation she heard Kon declare, "Down but not out, ugly. Unless you want that to change, keep trying." Despite what she knew about his aversion to killing, the champion black belt couldn't help but be daunted by that threat. She wasn't the only one. When she twisted around in her sling, it was to find Noboru standing frozen, his mouth slack. It seemed even Rangiku was impressed judging by her raised eyebrow.
However, while they were all distracted, Arisawa noticed the two Hollow girls had reached one another. They clasped hands, and as they did so, both intoned, "Merge, Kodoku!"
At this a fey light gleamed in each of their empty black mask sockets, followed by a sharp spike in reiatsu. The same deadly aura now surrounded both such that it lit the whole chamber with its power. Inside that blending poison loci, the shape of the twin Hollows began to change, growing larger and flowing into one another.
Rangiku cursed and began to chant some kind of spell, while Noboru sent his power pole arcing towards them, only to give a yell and quickly draw it back, the golden tip smoking and melted. Chizuru had crawled off and was crouched down with her back to the display. Tatsuki could relate, as she felt a primordial terror that made her bones shiver.
And as for Kon?
He just sighed. Without turning around, the mod soul declared in a strong, clear voice, "Loly! Menoly!"
At the center of the terrifying transfiguration, two heads turned in surprise.
"I won't kill you."
A pair of sharp gasps echoed through the chamber. At this, Kon finally swiveled to look at them, taking Tatsuki with him. Face lit red by the crescendo of unnatural energy, his voice was deathly calm. Almost friendly.
"Not if you leave," he said with no hint of wrath. "And not if you stay."
Then the big teenager took a step forward.
Tatsuki had never seen anyone run so fast. The only thing left was a smoking hole in the wall to mark their retreat. Seems the battle was finally over.
At least it appeared that way, until that moron Berrinholtz once more lurched upright. His arms, legs and head were separated from his body, all hovering independently around one another and sparking wildly. No obvious damage from Kon's attack was evident. Vicious snarls and drool emerged from its fangs. The three remaining fighters turned to face this seemingly unstoppable opponent. The whole thing just made Tatsuki sick. Will it never end?
Over the tumult, a deep musical B flat sounded, throbbing like a bell in a cathedral.
When it did, the Huge Hollow went still. Its light show winked out. Once more the note tolled, and this time the brute shuddered in every part. Then it happened yet again. A violent spasm rocked that gargantuan puppet, followed by a gruesome whine.
Astonished, everyone found themselves looking at Chizuru Honsho, down on her knees and clutching Lagrima's harp. The haggard redhead was carefully plucking one string in particular. Whenever she did, that funeral knell echoed, and Berrinholtz contorted in obvious agony. Without warning the skull and limbs dropped with a noisy clamor to lie spent. Only the torso remained floating upright. Tatsuki found herself staring at that big black marble which composed the beast's midsection. Was it her imagination, or did it seem like…?
At the next note, the ebony sphere cracked. Blood came oozing out. Berrinholtz screamed!
Now Chizuru was off. She hit that B flat like a coked up American rock star onstage at Woodstock, fingers almost seeming to blur until it sounded like one long sustained note with Berrinholtz squealing as the backdrop. The Hollow was jerking back and forth in midair. Further fractures appeared on the marble surface from which crimson liquid seeped. Out of nowhere a maddened wail of unsurpassed volume came from the creature. On and on this went, sounding utterly unhinged. When it finally gave out, the monster dropped, rocking ever so slightly before finally coming to rest. It did not move.
At last Chizuru stopped playing. She was breathing hard, but a triumphant smile still lit her face. Their unexpected savior picked up on the astonished looks she was getting and shrugged. "When that Hollow lady knocked out Tatsuki-chan… she did it just by playing one string," she gasped. "And then… right afterwards… to get Ursa Major over there to listen… she played another. Looked like… it hurt. So I figured… maybe it's one string tuned to… one specific person. How else could she… control that monster? And waddaya know! I was… right!"
"You kids really are something," Matsumoto declared while sheathing her sword. Her gaze traveled to where Kon stood, and a full-blown smile made her look even more astonishingly beautiful. "That goes for you too, Kon. Very slick moves. Maybe even enough to forgive you for that rough treatment earlier."
His chest noticeably swelled at this praise, at which point he gave a sudden cough. "Well, thanks, Matsumoto-san. Just for that, I might be willing to testify at your trial. Unless you really think you're getting past all those shinigami we feel up top." The teenage mod passed an arm over his forehead, which had begun to perspire heavily. Tatsuki was finding it a little hard to catch her breath too. All that moving must have worn them both out.
"Got it covered, Speedy Gonzales." So saying, she held up a pink scarf, smiling gamely.
Kon blanched. He looked down at his arm where no such accessory now hung. "How did…?" Another cough, harsher than before. Tatsuki frowned. Was he sick? It was really starting to feel that way for her too. Like she might vomit.
"You're not the only one who can move quickly when they need to. And don't bother coming at me again." She patted the soul cutter at her side. "No gigai to restrain me now. You couldn't even get close."
"This mean you're dumping me, Tetas?" Noboru called out.
Rangiku cast him a wink. " 'Fraid so, kiddo. Our paths must part. Now you two get these little girls out of here while I get back to my original…"
Kon collapsed.
He just crumpled. Like his head was bashed with a shovel. Tatsuki slid out of her seat and rolled a few paces. She could do nothing to stop it. Her body had stopped functioning again. All she could do was tremble uncontrollably as it felt like gravity in the room had quadrupled in the last few seconds.
Kon crouched on his hands and knees. A horrible gasping sound emerged from his throat. Sweat poured off his face like he was having a heart attack. He looked as bad as she felt. His head turned, and he looked at her in absolute horror.
"Well, slap my ass and call me Strawberry if that don't beat all!"
The voice came from behind. When Tatsuki looked to see who had spoken, she could have screamed.
Something crouched atop the avalanche which led to the hole in the cavern roof. It had the form of a human, but no one in their right mind would have mistaken it for such. Nearly everything about it was white, from the Karakura High school uniform to its short-cropped spiky hair. Pitch black teeth were bared in an unholy grin. Two midnight eyes with yellow pupils stared chillingly at them.
Tatsuki did not let that horribly familiar face deceive her. No resemblance, however total, could hide this creature's true nature. She would have known even if Rukia hadn't explained it to her earlier today. What perched before them was not her childhood friend. It was absolutely not Ichigo Kurosaki.
It was his Hollow, the one which had haunted Tatsuki's dreams for months.
As if sensing these thoughts, the Hollow looked straight at her. "Hey, Tatsuki. Long time no see."
She could say nothing. Nor could she find the strength to move. Tatsuki Arisawa just lay there on her side, horror-stricken. It happened. He got eaten by the thing. And now it's come to kill us all.
Orihime, wherever you are… run.
Berrinholtz chose that moment to come awake. The pieces of its body flew forward, reconnecting as they did. Reformed, the beast slavered madly. A bloody froth was leaking from its marble core and out of both eyes and mouth. There was no more roaring. It simply charged at the closest living thing, which just happened to be Ichigo's dark side. The Hollow turned to face it.
A second later there was another hole in the roof, and Berrinholtz was gone.
"… to embalm the fallen: BAKUDŌ 99: KIN!"
Rangiku Matsumoto fairly roared these words. At the same time Noboru's nyoibo staff rocketed across the room to strike the Hollow in its forehead, sending its neck snapping back. Black strips of cloth were wrapping around its arms in a jerky fashion before growing taut. Several metal discs slammed these bindings to the floor. Tatsuki could hear Matsumoto murmuring something else. Her voice sounded shaky. Had she been able to crane her neck, the girl felt certain she would see fear for the very first time on that gorgeous face.
The Hollow simply flexed its arms, and the bindings tore, sending shards of metal shooting everywhere. The honey-haired sorceress stuttered to a halt and drew her zanpakutō.
"I don't have time for this shit," the fallen soul croaked. It then gave a sort of twitch.
In this position Tatsuki couldn't see what else might be happening, but there were no further sounds of battle. A low buzzing now filled her ears. It felt as if something very heavy was sitting on her chest while strangling her. Was absolutely everyone else experiencing the same debilitation now? Her skin was crawling, bringing pain flashbacks from what she had undergone with Lagrima.
In an odd way, though, this helped her to deal with it. And the sensation of being assaulted by her very environment was not a new one. She had experienced the exact same thing the first time she met an arrancar. And in addition to all this, Tatsuki Arisawa knew with utmost clarity that if she let herself go limp and helpless like she had been for the last few hours, this time she would assuredly die.
Get up. Get up and fight!
Her body felt like hell. All the same, to her immense satisfaction the martial artist managed to leverage herself up onto one elbow. It didn't get any easier from there, but that didn't make a damn bit of difference. As if waiting for this, Kon arose beside her. Despite a very obvious shaking, he whirled again, sending even greater bolts of ochre power from his feet. An explosion sounded. The speed freak disappeared soon after with a slight sonic boom.
Almost immediately Kon hurtled past her again. Droplets of blood spattered in his wake, and she heard him land. It sounded bad.
Meanwhile Tatsuki took this opportunity. No way was she going to die flat on her ass. Anger had returned. At this situation, at certain people she blamed, and most especially at that noxious monster which had been robbing her of sleep lately. It hurt Kon! Get up and beat its rotten black teeth in! Tatsuki swiveled her leaden legs around and pressed a hand against the floor. Teeth gritted, muscles straining under that suffocating morass of spiritual intensity, she finally managed to lift her exhausted frame off the ground.
The black belt remained in a crouch. Gasping for air that seemed to be in short supply, Arisawa looked behind her. She spotted Chizuru first. Her classmate looked to be unconscious again. A great glass rectangle covered her and Rangiku, who had dropped to one knee, clutching her chest as she gasped out more spells. What looked like a small brown monkey was attempting to drag Kon further behind the barrier.
The mod soul's arm was missing.
"Looking for this?"
It was standing right in front of her, holding Kon's severed limb. With utmost care, the monster leaned down and wiped that bloody stump slowly down her face. The taste and smell of it made her rage burn hotter. She locked eyes with that vile grinning atrocity.
"I'll kill you," Tatsuki whispered softly.
"Yeah, bullshit." The Hollow dropped the arm and reached down to grab a fistful of her shirt. It then brought the girl up to dangle before it. Its breath was coming very fast. She could feel the Hollow trembling with excitement.
Tatsuki made an attempt to kick it in the crotch. Instead all that happened was it grabbed her leg, leaving her hanging in an even more awkward position. The touch of its skin was ice cold. Still holding on firmly, the Hollow chuckled as she struggled in vain.
"Damn," it gasped gleefully. "Shit, shit, shit! I really wanted to take my time with you guys. Really, I did! But it took too damn long to get here. You might be all I get, Tatsuki. You and the little lesbian over there and she hardly counts. Still, even that might be enough. But there's something I just gotta say to you."
It brought her closer, so that their faces were only an inch apart. The smile it wore now made her want to tear its damn head off.
"Ichigo doesn't think of you as a woman. Did you know that? In his head, you're practically a guy. He's never even imagined fucking you once, front or back. Sometimes I think he forgets you even exist. You're that unimportant to him."
"So that's that. Anything you want him to know next time I see him? You're about to die, so make it count."
"Eat shit," she rasped back, "and die."
"I'll tell him you said that. Bye now!"
Two black hands seized the Hollow's wrists.
"No."
Tatsuki then found herself falling slowly earthwards in a world tinted vibrant emerald green. She could hear the Hollow screaming. What the hell? Am I dead?
She landed on her butt, which hurt. It also informed her that she was still among the living… or whatever this counted as. Time seemed to have gotten back to normal as well. So what's the big surprise now? This whole experience had been utterly draining such that she didn't even have it in her to be mad anymore. Screw it. I don't care. With a sort of weary disinterest, Tatsuki looked up.
Green eyes made her remember how it felt to be afraid.
The arms and legs were black with wicked talons. A hole in its bone-white chest wept ebon blood, and a pointed tail swept the air restlessly. Two enormous black wings were folded on its back. The horned head rose. Tears poured from lifeless black and green eyes. The creature seemingly took no notice of Tatsuki when it spoke next.
"They are mine."
"NO!"
She turned her head. The Hollow was now halfway across the hall. Its shirt was gone, the skin of its chest bloodied and charred. In addition, the thing looked absolutely unhinged. Eyes flung wide, black drool running down its chin and long tongue flicking out. It jerked upright and let loose an earth-shattering wail, like a kid whose favorite toy had been broken. It was crying too.
"NO! NO NO NO! THIS IS BULLSHIT! FUCKING BULLSHIT! YOU'RE DEAD! HE KILLED YOU! HE FUCKING KILLED YOU! FUCK YOU, YOU CAN'T BE HERE, GODDAMMIT, WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!"
"Because…"
Vast pinions shot out to their full wingspread.
"… I am better than you."
With that, the vasto lorde shot forward in a flash to catch the Hollow by its throat. He then banked sharply upwards, smashing through the ceiling like it was paper. Sand and debris fell all around. Tatsuki stared in abject disbelief at what she had just witnessed. The world really had gone insane.
That was Ulquiorra Schiffer.
Then she noticed the tang of blood still in her nose, and it hit her. Kon! But just as she remembered, a voice cried, "OI! Tatsuki-chan! Chizuru-chan! Up here!"
When she looked where indicated, Arisawa noticed several shinigami scrambling down the landslide. At the top of the hole, Ochi-sensei waved cheerfully. "Hey! You guys all right down there? Because it is crazy up here!"
"Go with them."
She looked behind her to see Kon wavering upright, a white bandage wrapped tightly around the stump of his arm. His face was pale, but determined. Chizuru still lay beside him. Of Matsumoto there was no sign.
"She took off," the mod soul explained. "Noboru went after her before I could stop him. I'm gonna follow and make sure everybody's safe. You and Chizuru go with the shinigami for now. They'll protect you. I'll be back soon."
"Holy shit, Kon," Tatsuki sobbed, tears pouring from her eyes. "You got fucking dismembered! Just rest, why don't you? The shinigami'll take care of it, right?"
The pale mod only gave a shake of his head. "Can't do that. This isn't over. And Rukia's down here. I can tell; she needs my help. Just… don't worry about me, okay? I'll be all right."
With that he sped off into one of the tunnels without another word.
Several death gods appeared around her, asking all sorts of questions, none of which she cared to respond to now even if she had all the answers. Instead Tatsuki mechanically knelt and picked up Kon's arm. Holding it tenderly, she moved towards the exit beckoning high overhead.
I can't do any more. Please just let this all work out.
Ryō waved to indicate her readiness while holding Mizuiro's loafer. Having taken up their own position, the two boys nodded. They didn't dare speak. Separating like this had not drawn the demon god's attention that they could tell, but best not to take chances. Perhaps it could only focus on a limited area of its surroundings, not everywhere the blood was present? That makes sense. Good for us.
The architect of this crazy plot considered. If this worked, it would undoubtedly make the Hollow aware of them. For that reason Kunieda had called dibs on the second pipe. Being a track star, she would require the least time to make it back to the other two and cover them with her power. Hopefully it wouldn't sniff them out in the interim. Or after, for that matter. Who knows how this might work? But at the very least… they had tried.
Keigo looked at Mizuiro, who smiled in a way that demonstrated his confidence in the plan. The cheerful womanizer then raised three fingers on high for all to see before ticking them off.
3-2-1-GO!
Let's see if this gets anybody's attention, Keigo thought.
Shaking uncontrollably, he poured the contents of his shoe directly onto the first ribbon of blood.
Hitsugaya lunged weakly for the closest weapon, this being Rukia's zanpakutō. An unfamiliar sense of shivering cold rushed through him as his fingers closed over the handle.
Make this work!
We will.
Save her, please!
Strength surged through his body as the soul cutters forged a connection the only way they could; through ice. A round white pane of it formed behind him, reflecting everything in its depths. The image of the gloating vasto lorde stood out in frozen relief. At the same time, filigrees of frost began to snake all over her form. To this she gave him a contemptuous look; even her component steed shook its fleshless head and snorted derisively.
"Still do not see it's impossible, hmm?" Halibel intoned while leaning down on the helpless Rukia. "Then I will give you a final demonstration of the difference between shinigami and us." A proliferation of fanged serpents blossomed from her back, their mouths opened wide in readiness to tear him to pieces.
Hitsugaya prepared to sell his life dearly. At seeing his stalwart determination, the Hollow goddess smiled, before promptly turning to dust.
The boy braced himself, uncertain of what this might portend. What kind of strange new attack lay in store for him now?
Only when he saw Rukia leap up with utter incomprehension written on her face did it occur to him this might not be some new means of slaughtering them. Both shinigami stared at the spot their enemy previously occupied. It had happened so fast. One second the ancient monstrosity was preparing to devour them. And in the next the whole thing– horse, snakes and rider– all slid into a pile of reddish dust on the floor. There was nothing to even indicate it had ever been alive.
"Did you do that, Captain?" Rukia hazarded.
Tōshirō was no less perplexed than her. What could be the cause of this? Still not letting his guard down, he advanced a step closer. No reaction. Examining the remains more closely, something caught his eye. Trailing from the main mound back into the cavern from which it came was a long line of the same grist. He then spotted another such stream snaking over to the tunnel which Halibel had previously blocked up. There too lay a heap of red particles before the open exit.
"This wasn't the main body," he realized suddenly. "It was just another extension she made to reach us! It must have been cut off somehow." All around small patches of dried up blood littered the cavern. From the shards I froze! She couldn't hold onto them all, and the ones that broke free immediately turned to dust when she wasn't connected to them! I was so busy fighting her I didn't realize!
"Captain." Beside him Lieutenant Kuchiki was now holding out Hyōrinmaru. Wordlessly the icy warrior accepted his weapon while returning her own.
Thank you.
Their brief connection parted. The ice mirror at his back dissolved away. Now reunited with their proper blades, the two shinigami looked to one another. Perhaps some measure of communion still lay between them, for each nodded before taking off to follow the trail of powder which would lead to the source of this horror.
As they ran, Hitsugaya still felt the unwholesome aura that he knew presaged Rukia's worst nightmare. Before confronting that, though, they had to learn where things stood in terms of the vasto lorde. Both could sense other shinigami close at hand now. The assault must have begun. Learning what, if anything, might have balked the Espada might be the greatest contribution they could make to those who were not yet aware of her presence. No time for hell butterflies or any such things. They could not leave such a dangerous factor unquantified. This may prove to be their only chance, and as such there was no time to waste.
So determined, they followed the trail.
As soon as the sand touched it, Keigo's blood-line was chopped in half. The part leading out turned to dust in the blink of an eye, while its other half connected to the pool remained unaffected, only jerked back like a split fishing line. The movement almost took his arm off, and he collapsed with a cry. Mizuiro crouched beside him. Wide-eyed, he watched the tendril retract swiftly into the blood-bath.
That dark-red expanse churned into a bloody boil. Keigo almost fainted when a giant burst forth from its frothing depths.
Vaguely he was aware of Kunieda racing towards them to fling herself atop both boys. Falling back, he could still perceive this new threat, so high did it reach. It's a woman, his brain finally realized. A woman, made of blood, and… she's…
Naked.
Boy, was she ever naked.
While this fact was claiming all Keigo Asano's suddenly undivided attention, the gleaming red titan looked wildly around. Her shoulder-length carmine tresses framed a face of stunning beauty, but so twisted by the fiercest rage that the combination of threat and yearning almost stopped his heart. She did not emerge fully from the lake, coming up only to the hips. There was a hole in her stomach that they could look right through. Hefty breasts were swollen with blood, another disturbing combination that made his stomach churn and heart pound double-time. There seemed to be spines emerging from the ogress' back interwoven into strange designs. And all of this was soaring almost thirty feet into the air.
None of the three students moved. They just lay there, hoping that Intimidation ability would be up to snuff. Meanwhile the devil woman hadn't seemed to notice them. Instead she bent quickly down to examine where Kunieda's handiwork had left a dried red trail leading off into the tunnel. Her head jerked up towards the ceiling which she inspected for a few moments, gaze drifting over the underside of the tent.
Finding nothing, the ferocious goddess turned her attention to the other strand. Placing both palms on the floor she leaned out to reach the spot where the rusty powder began. Keigo stared straight up as a face that could have launched and sank a thousand ships came to loom almost right over him. He told himself to shut his eyes. Unfortunately, they did not seem to obey.
The titan continued to regard the evidence of their assault. Her eyes did not move from that spot. Had her attention strayed only a few feet to the right, she would have been looking directly at them. Instead, after a few seconds, the wrath drained out of her features, leaving them chillingly composed. Bloody eyes then slowly rose up, scanning from one side to another. And those glistening lips parted.
"I know you are here."
As she spoke, dozens of tentacles began to emerge from the pool and go questing about. They reached up high while others carefully combed over the floor.
"It would have been a more plausible coincidence had you cut only one line," the vicious spirit continued. "Not that I would have believed. Sand falling exactly where it would do the most harm? The odds are not good. But it might have given me pause. Still, you were too concerned about who might be in danger from me, weren't you? That tells me much."
"NO!"
Keigo tried to move his head to see where this cry came from and failed. Only his eyes rotated in their sockets, but it was enough to allow him to perceive a familiar shape standing at the unused tunnel mouth. The Hollow Lagrima regarded them, minus the harp but still holding onto that big pickle jar for dear life.
"No!" Lagrima repeated. "NO! Tia Halibel, I know you! You are… the Tercera Espada! The Usurper's Worm! What are you doing here? Where…?" Her head swung frantically from side to side. "Where is the mighty Barragan?"
As this rant was proceeding, Kunieda Ryō whispered very softly, "Get up." She moved off them, still maintaining contact. Overhead the behemoth identified as Tia Halibel gave a twitch, like she had noticed something. Neither Hollow had taken any notice of them, yet the questing tentacles were drawing closer.
Terror choked Keigo's throat in a vice. At last he managed to croak out, "I can't."
Ryō regarded him dispassionately. For a few horrific moments he was certain she was contemplating leaving him there. Instead their reserved classmate flicked a glance at Mizuiro. "Help me carry him."
His childhood friend was staring hard at the naked deity still prowling around. Probably just as conflicted about how to react as me. But still he bent to grasp their fear-struck colleague beneath the armpits. Together they hoisted him up to hang heavy as a sack of grain between them.
Meanwhile Halibel drew herself straight to regard this fresh intruder. "You have been worshipping false idols, little slave," she intoned dryly. "All the while, it has been me giving you commands, since I am the only who could assume your fallen master's place. I am the Segunda Espada now."
"Wh… what?"
They should really escape while these monsters were distracted with one another. Apparently Kunieda had reached the same conclusion. "Don't run," she advised in a whisper. "Draws their attention." Faintly Mizuiro nodded.
The Segunda's lips curled with contempt. Her head rose in condemnation, and she scowled. This movement caused the three escapees to freeze.
"Your King, Barragan Luisenbarn, is dead. I ate him myself following the war for Nirvana. He was quite the satisfying meal."
A shudder went through that spare frame. Lagrima began to sink towards the floor. "Dead?" she whispered. "He is… dead?"
"Even more so than usual."
A scant inch from her knees touching stone, the wispy Hollow sprang up and fled from the room. Halibel watched her flight before heaving a sigh. Several of the serpent projections moved to pursue.
It was now or never. And with that they proceeded to haul Asano's unresponsive form away, feet dragging and arms dangling like wet noodles.
Only when the empty shoe dropped from his nerveless grip did Keigo even remember he was still carrying it.
The noise it made shouldn't have been that loud. Maybe everything just seemed enhanced, as the terrible head spun straight towards them. Red vines converged too fast for anyone to react. In under a second all three high-schoolers were bound in those loathsome limbs.
"Ah. There we go."
Her smile was awful to behold. It told Keigo he was about to be eaten alive. She would do it. That's what they did. Hollows eat people. And now I'm going to die. Semi-solid blood oozed over his bare flesh, and all he could do was whimper.
"Humans. I thought as much," their captor purred, her tongue sliding out over those ravenous lips. "We were told some of you possessed unusual abilities. But this one is new. A lesser form of Complete Hypnosis? Complete Oblivious, perhaps?" She chuckled. "I could…"
Suddenly the Hollow paused. Green eyes flashed, narrowing down to slits. Her head bent over them until she hovered right in front of Kunieda Ryō. The girl's face went stiff, but the rest of her was trembling so violently she looked to be vibrating. Still she did not look away as the beast continued to inspect her closely.
"It is you." There was a measure of wonder in its voice they had not heard before. "You are the one with my taint on your soul! When did this happen? How did you come close enough to receive my blessing and survive? Who are you?!"
Kunieda gasped in a long lungful of air, almost like she had forgotten to breathe for the last few seconds. When she managed to speak her words were piping faint. "I'm the Last Unicorn."
"Eh?" One great eyebrow rose. "Unicorn? What are–?"
"Excuse me," Mizuiro interrupted sweetly, "but have you considered posing for Playboy Japan? Because I think you would make a dynamite centerfold!"
The Hollow turned a measuring look on him as though wondering what the grinning dandy might taste like. "What?"
A burst of blue flame exploded against the side of Halibel's head. At the same time, this strange band of something like fog swept through the air and severed the tentacles at their source. Instantly they all turned to dust, and the next thing the astonished Keigo knew someone was dropping him to the floor several meters away.
"Hold on!" Rangiku Matsumoto declared, a pink scarf clutched in her fist. Then, "Oh hell!"
"Lose something?"
Kunieda Ryō was not with them. Instead the girl was now clutched in Halibel's blood-wet fist, who regarded them triumphantly. "You would not abandon this poor child, eh, shinigami?"
The fugitive death god hesitated. As she did a host of tentacles sprang from the pool to impact against a gray wall of furiously shifting particles that formed before her. More emerged, when the massive female uttered a shout.
The arm holding Ryō had turned solid from wrist to elbow. Even as Keigo registered this, a scarlet spear plowed through that frozen appendage in an explosion of ice. Kunieda fell free, the hand that held her now nothing more than a fine mist, only to disappear and reemerge on the other side of the hall in the arms of a preschooler with brown skin.
"RUN, NOBORU!"
"AND LEAVE YOU HERE? LIKE HELL!"
Rukia Kuchiki now stood in the cave wearing full shinigami gear, accompanied by a bloodstained kid with white hair holding a sword longer than he was. Her face was fierce enough to scare away anything short of Death itself. Halibel had retreated back to her pool. An absolute horde of serpents rose around her, enough to fill the chamber and rip every person there, human or spirit, to shreds. Rukia and the captain stood side by side, sweat freezing on their faces and swords extended with tips touching to form a sphere of white energy that grew bigger with every heartbeat. Their eyes glowed from concentration. Matsumoto had turned that dust cloud she was using into a large spinning disc, perhaps in an attempt to cut the monster off at the waist. The kid with the stick stood protectively over Ryō, but his lips were moving, and the air was glowing green around him.
Keigo had no idea if any of this might actually do the trick. Could even all of them together beat that thing? Still slumped in a spineless blob on his back, he found himself staring at that spreading dome over the ceiling again. Nobody else even looked up. Wouldn't make any sense to; considering what they were currently faced with, it would be suicide to look away. But lying there, probably about to die after hardly having lived at all, Keigo Asano knew with absolute certainty that he had grasped its significance.
A vibration came that made the chamber quake; pressure built in his ears so that he could hardly hear anything clearly. All those opposing spiritual powers were about to come to a head. Somebody's about to die. Probably me.
What have I got to lose?
Just as war was about to erupt, his voice tore out with all the force and desire to live that existed in a frightened desperate teenage soul.
"HIT! THE! ROOF!"
Keigo never saw what happened next. He had already passed out.
But his effort was not in vain. Noboru heard, and looking up, he spied the unusual structure that capped this cavern. Acting on instinct the brash youth fired Hanuman straight at its peak. The tent was ripped from its moorings by the overwhelming force of his blow, that never-ending battle staff carrying it up to slam into the stone ceiling and explode straight through, into the open air of Hueco Mundo beyond.
At the same time, twin bolts of blazing yellow energy roared upwards to blow away the remaining ceiling directly over Tia Halibel's head. And through it the dry desert of Hueco Mundo came pouring in.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
An inarticulate scream tore from the vasto lorde, filled with rage and despair so loud it blew away any and all attacks that her enemies had previously been building. This had no effect on the greatest threat, though. Swirling white cataracts poured down in a waterfall of sand directly onto the blood goddess, and what had once been a smooth liquid mass now resembled a clumping congealed mess. The reaction was worse than one might have expected. For wherever even a speck of sand touched her, the Hollow's body dissolved, sloughing away into dust and engorged silica. Halibel continued to roar, thrashing in the midst of her diminishing medium. Blood churned and swelled over the lip of the pool as though seeking escape. But there was none to be found. Sand soaked up everything, its dry touch greedily absorbing whatever fragment of the gluttonous Hollow's being could be found. It devoured her, stripping this sending of any shape and form.
The mass of bloody sand lost any recognizable semblance of humanity. It broke apart to go collapsing into the pool, further exacerbating the effect. Immediately, however, a smaller version of her emerged, one huge arm held overhead in an effort to protect Halibel from the gobbling grains. Her subservient members had vanished. The pool was nearly filled. Only this hunched and dwindling expression of the Espada remained.
Under the shadow of her steadily collapsing arm, Halibel's head rose. Empty eyes fastened on the figure of Tōshirō Hitsugaya who stood amazed at what was transpiring. They glowed green with malice, and from her mouth a thin ribbon of blood shot directly towards the captain's heart.
His sword came up, as did Rukia's, but before the attack covered half its distance a stream of gray ash swept in and severed it near the source. A smattering of red went sprinkling over Tōshirō's clothes, and that was all.
Her final attack thwarted, Halibel's form crumbled. The greedy sand came pouring down to fill her last remaining holdout.
"Don't imagine this means you're safe."
A wicked smile stretched the Hollow's melting face…
"We are watching you, children."
… before her features were swept away under the deluge.
More white sand continued to fall. The battle was over, however. Realizing this, a visibly exhausted Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked over to the person who had defended him at the last. "Why?"
In response Matsumoto shrugged gamely. "Force of habit, I guess." She then blew him a kiss and winked. "Toodle-oo, Taichou!"
When her arm swept up, only then did Rangiku notice something was missing.
A small snap came from behind her.
"First off, let me say thanks for saving both our lives."
She turned.
"Second," Mizuiro regarded her warmly and somewhat flirtatiously. "If I die soon, you and I should hook up for drinks."
She stared.
"And third," the boy extinguished his cigarette lighter, letting the burning pink silk scarf flutter earthwards, "I'm really sorry. Rain check on that date, because I strongly suspect you will be in ghost jail soon."
Nothing remained of her teleportation charm but a twist of ash and the lingering scent of smoke. Matsumoto regarded this with puckered lips and one raised golden eyebrow. Then she lifted her shoulders in a noticeably bouncy fashion. "I guess I deserved that." The outcast death god then turned to regard the remaining war party. "But since absolutely none of you are at your best right now, I doubt you will put up much of a contest when I decide to bolt."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Rangiku-san."
Atop a pile of sand which had once crowned this throne room, Captain Abarai Renji glared at the apostate. His shikai was released, as were those of Hirakō Shinji and Lisa Yadomaru beside him. Their combined aura now easily outclassed everyone else in the room.
"Surrender, Matsumoto," Tōshirō breathed, leaning on the pommel of his sword stuck point-first in the ground.
She looked at him, then at the other two captains and lieutenant. After a moment's hesitation, Rangiku reformed her shikai, which she gingerly eased into its sheath strapped to her back. The voluptuous minx then raised her empty hands overhead. At the same time, she cast a friendly look back at Mizuiro. "I suppose if I held you hostage to get out of here it could count as a date. But my reputation's taken enough hits for one afterlife. See you later!"
The two Vizard moved to take her into custody. Renji approached Rukia, who had slung one of Hitsugaya's arms over her shoulder to keep him upright. "You all right, Hitsugaya-taichou?"
"I'll live," he responded blearily, though he seemed barely capable of lifting his head.
"Not to sound like a whiner," Kon announced as he came up dragging Noboru by an ear, "but I could use some first aid over here." He indicated his missing arm whose bandage was visibly leaking blood.
"That was awesome, Kon!" His young cohort seemed in no way disturbed at being manhandled like this. He merely grinned while carrying an unconscious Ryō, a chewed-up pencil sticking out of his mouth. "I mean, you raised the roof, amigo! Literally! Took that bloody babe to task!"
"Noboru!"
He winced as Rukia's sharp voice cut through any gleeful adulation. The grey-eyed urchin shuffled his feet and looked sheepishly at his glowering aunt. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Now is not the time to mete out punishment, but rest assured yours will come in due course." Rukia lifted her chin, deep blue eyes momentarily growing unfocused. "I can no longer sense any particularly malevolent presence in this vicinity." She then gave her head a quick shake. There was a measure of both relief and trepidation to her voice when she turned to address Renji. "Captain Abarai, is there anything which has transpired you feel I should be made aware of?"
The big fighter rubbed the nape of his neck as a pained grimace worked up his face. "I'll tell you what I know for sure, but honestly, there are a lot of things that need explaining about this. Ichigo's waiting for you topside with Orihime and Nanao. He might be able to shed some light on stuff."
Rukia looked confused at that last, but any uncertainty was easily trumped by how obviously glad this news made her. With Renji's help she then supported Tōshirō towards the newly made exit. More shinigami came streaming in to aid and receive orders from their officers. The remaining humans were given over into their care. Other members proceeded to invade the underground dungeon. With that, their arduous ordeal seemed to finally be at an end.
He's dead.
Lagrima raced through the catacombs, following her personal escape route which she had made certain remained a secret from all, including Barragan. Barragan Luisenbarn, who was no more. The King of Hueco Mundo was dead.
Finally. He was finally dead! At long last… I'M FREE!
Free! FREE! HE'S DEAD! She wanted to shout the words aloud for all to hear, only didn't yet dare. There were shinigami invading this wretched burrow. But what matter? Let them have the old fool's crumbling remnants of an empire! He could never touch her again, threaten and demean her for his own perverse amusement. She lifted the oenochoe jug on high. A toast to the Almighty Barragan, who wound up being gorged upon by a sluttish sea serpent! Rot in hell, you horse-drawn skeletal fool! Laughing, Lagrima took a sip. It tasted sweet, like long-fermenting wine. Drunk on joy, she giggled uncontrollably.
Up ahead the light of the exit promised safety and freedom. This tunnel came out far removed from the main complex. No death gods or any such would think to check this distance. A new existence awaited her, freed from an endless indentured servitude and ready to begin anew. With this treasure of collected essence, who knows? She might even aim for the rank of vasto lorde herself. No Hollow had ever tasted her flesh, so that meant the possibility remained. A divine empress might yet rule over all!
Lagrima eagerly stepped forth into the cold clean light of Hueco Mundo.
The freed slave stumbled to a halt. A vast white desert stretched away into the distance marked by outcroppings of wind-blown rock. More eye-catching than this blighted scenery, though, was a small selection of arrancar arrayed before her, as if in preparation of Lagrima's arrival. She recognized Loly and Menoly among them. They made no move to attack, only watched with the restrained menace of a pack waiting to pounce. A soft sob bubbled up from her chest. No, what is this? It's not fair! Just not fair!
" 'Bout damn time," a rumbling voice grunted.
She turned around. Sitting atop the small cave entrance, Grimmjow Jeaguerjaques returned her stare, his eyes half-lidded with boredom and casual bloodlust. Why did he look grey?
"You're welcome, Grimmjow."
This new voice spoke from right in front of her. Before Lagrima could react, a blade had already opened her throat.
The jug was yanked roughly from her grasp. Gagging, she fell to the pristine sands now spattered with blood. Strangely enough, though it soaked up her life easily enough, the sands did not turn red as a result; merely a dark shade of glistening gray.
Enfain Tessima reappeared, now holding the flask containing vasto lorde essence. She sheathed her weapon and looked up to the leader of this hunting party.
The panther demon leapt nimbly down to join her. "Good job letting us know where she was headed."
"You're lucky I muted her senses with my Chiaroscuro too," the Hollow spy stated as she held out their prize. "In your released state, even with a sombra any Hollow would have felt you a mile away."
"I like my prey to know it's me," he grinned, accepting the container to pop the lid. Jeaguerjaques sniffed the oily brew experimentally, giving a wrinkle of his nose. Tufted ears twitched in restlessness. At last he returned the stopper. "All right, we've got what we wanted. Let's head home."
He took point, and the pack followed, loping along to disappear among the rolling dunes. In moments their tracks were completely lost to the shifting sands.
Lagrima lay bleeding as they conversed, and continued to do so after all had left. She had no strength to move. It was impossible to tell how long she remained there, or when death might come. I never wanted to end this way, she thought. I just wanted my freedom. That's all. Was it too much to ask I be given a single day to enjoy it?
I want to live. Please, anyone… help me.
"Look! We found someone!"
"Thank goodness!"
The masked harpist felt strong arms grasp her own. Still gurgling blood, she found herself held upright by two scar-faced Hollows, one squat, the other tall and slender. Before her was a green-haired woman wearing a scandalous red outfit so bizarre it boggled the mind. All three were arrancar.
No. It doesn't matter. Masked, unmasked, what difference does it make? As long as I can live. Whoever this is, I will gladly serve her.
"I'm so happy to meet you, whoever you are," the ibex-skulled Hollow stated with a smile. She looked between her two subordinates, belled cap jingling joyfully. "So happy! I can finally eat!"
Neliel tu Odelschvank's mouth opened wide. This proved to be the last thing Lagrima ever saw.
To be continued…